Dave's World

Something Shiny... or Scary...

2012-02-17T19:41:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: First of the Year (Equinox) by Skrillex
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobelewski

This is about as close as I could get to a Twitter posting. I don't do well with a limited number of words but I just wanted to share something quickly, à la Twitter.

In the last month or so, I discovered Skrillex. I don't even recall how I stumbled up the video for First of the Year (Equinox). But once I did, I was HOOKED! It wasn't the video that got me though, although I think it is VERY well done. I discovered that I like his style of music, whatever that is! Some call it dubstep, some call it electro.. I just call it awesome! I've listened to several other songs by him and while they do tend to sound very similar (like most techno music - or Nickleback songs), I just love the raw, unfettered, explosive energy. I wish I could dance to this the way it needs to be danced to! So yeah, who knew? I'm a dubstep fan!

The video is icing on the cake. CREEPY!!! And controversial. There are those who wish this could happen to every pedophile in the world and others who are just disturbed by the whole thing and don't know what to think. I love it!

Anyway... that's it. Just wanted to tell you about the "something shiny" that's caught my eye and ear recently!

"CALL 911 NOW!!!"

Dubsteppin' in Dave's World,
DW

Remembering Whitney Houston

2012-02-13T18:23:00.006-06:00

Currently listening to: You Give Good Love by Whitney Houston
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wrobelewski

Like many people around the world today, I am processing the death of pop star Whitney Houston. She is one of a very few artists (I would think) whose career I have seen from beginning to end. I remember hearing her first hit song, the one I'm currently listening to, You Give Good Love. It is still one of my absolute favourites by Whitney. Soulful, relatively unadorned (by later-in-her-career standards), showing the range and strength of her beautiful voice without resorting to histrionics. This first album IMHO still represents Whitney at her best. Not that she didn't have great moments later on but this recording was much simpler and really showcased her as a singer, not just a big powerful voice. I remember at that time hearing about this new young singer and how great things were predicted for her.

She went on of course to very great things, commercially speaking. Seven # 1 singles in a row (which hadn't happened since the Beatles), a movie career and selling gazillions of albums worldwide. I wasn't always a huge fan of her songs but there were some that I definitely liked and that made an impression on me. In her memory, I'd like to share a few of my favourite Whitney songs.

How Will I Know - This song showed us Whitney having fun. Not only could she do the soulful, smouldering ballad but she could make you want to dance and feel good too. This song to me is just plain joyful, a smile-filled spin through the ups-and-downs of falling in love. It makes me smile every time I hear it and I just want to crank it up and bounce around the room.

I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me) - Not surprisingly, I also loved this song. It's pure fluff and again, just out and out joyful fun. Whitney was criticized for dumbing down her music, leaving the soulful sounds of her first album for bubble-gum pop. But for me, this song will forever be linked to the semester I spent in St. Pierre attending Memorial University's Institut Frecker. This was one of the few current songs we would hear down there at the Joinville bar (side note: does that place still exist?) and we would go nuts on the dance floor every time they played it! It was hilarious as we tried to translate the song into French and sing it along to the actual track. That semester was fantastic, truly one of those coming-of-age periods. I discovered a great deal about myself and some of my happiest memories stem from that semester. It totally could have been made into a coming-of-age, journey-of-self-discovery movie! And Whitney's song is now the bookmark in my memory for that wonderful time in my life.

Didn't We Almost Have It All - For me, this song hearkened-back to Whitney's more soulful roots. It's sappy but catchy and sung so powerfully that I don't mind just getting carried along for the ride.

One Moment in Time - Whitney recorded this song for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. I'm a sucker for these "overcome-the-odds" kind of songs and this one has it in spades; makes me cry and also want to stand up and cheer every time and yes, it even reminds me that I can accomplish anything I determinedly set my mind to. A nice pick-me-up when times get gloomy.

It's Not Right (But It's Okay) - By this time in Whitney's career, I had mostly stopped paying attention. She had moved more towards the hip-hop vibe/sound and that is one of my most hated forms of music (second only to country - but that'll have to be another posting). Nonetheless, I liked the feel of this song. Looking at it now, I guess it resembles One Moment in Time, in the sense that both are about overcoming and winning. Some may think of it purely as a "girl-power" kind of song but I think it can be for anyone who's been hurt and is determined to make it through.

Million Dollar Bill - I have to confess that really I am more a fan of the Freemason's remix than of the actual album version of the song. Again, it is purely a dance track with no greater purpose than to make you want to dance. And that's fine by me. I guess I was just happy to see that Whitney actually seemed to be putting her life back together and this might be the first step back. If only...

The Preacher's Wife Soundtrack - Whitney cut her singing chops in church and on the soundtrack to this movie, she went back to her gospel roots. Wow. I would do almost anything to attend a church service with that kind of singing! For me, the whole album is phenomenal and IMHO, I think this is Whitney truly singing from her heart, singing the kind of songs that meant the most to her. Joy to the World has rarely sounded this joyful!

There are many more songs that I like but these are probably my favourites. And as I listen to the news about her passing and what the last few years were like, the one song that strikes me most sadly is her hit The Greatest Love of All. For a woman blessed with such talent, beauty, success and the adulation of literally millions of people worldwide, I don't know if she ever learned how to live the words she so often sang: "Learning to love yourself, it is the greatest love of all".

It is sad that not just her career but her beautiful voice was destroyed by drug abuse. Sadly I fear that the real tragedy is that it may have also destroyed her life. For all that you were and that you could have been, Whitney, there's one guy who's genuinely saddened and who will always remember you fondly.

"It's not right, but it's okay. I'm gonna make it anyway"... in Dave's World.
DW

Saturday morning. Okay, noon

2012-02-04T11:31:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Counting Down the Days - Sunfreakz featuring Andrea Britton
Currently reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

It's a lovely Saturday morning in the neighbourhood. Cold (which is to be expected in a Canadian winter) but not that piercing, I'm-dying-in-Antarctica kind of cold so typical of February's here. It's brilliantly sunny and there's hoar frost on the tree branches so everything has a sparkly, crystal-coated look. Very pretty.

I wish every day could start like this. I woke up around 9:45 and have had a leisurely start to the day. I've made my breakfast, checked emails, done some minor puttering around the house and will shortly get a shower and start in earnest on the day's tasks. Listening to the Sunfreakz song (and similar tunes) really perks me up - it has an energetic but not rushed feel. A great musical summary of how I like to feel every day; full or energy and fun, confidently ready to tackle the day but not in a panic or a rush to charge headlong into things (can I get a lot out of a club dance song or what?). It is now almost 12 but to me it feels like morning and for me and my body clock, this is still morning. :-)

I like starting my day like this. Sadly, during the work-week I struggle to drag myself out of deep sleep and begin functioning with just barely enough time to shower and get out the door so I'm not late for work. Oh yeah, and I get dressed. It's awful. The day starts out jangled and frazzled and never really settles into a nice groove. Instead of feeling energetic and fun and confident and ready to face the day, I feel rushed, panicked and afraid of what the day has in store because I'm feeling so not ready to deal with it.

So why don't I get up earlier? It's my body clock. For my whole life, it's been set to get up between 9 and 10 and shut down between 1 and 2. If I could live by that schedule, I could conquer the world. Being forced to get up five mornings in a row between 6 and 6:30 is torture. I am in the depths of my best sleep at that point. I never get a good night's sleep during the week. And even though I may feel tired by 10 at night, it's pointless for me to go to bed as I simply won't fall asleep that early. I'll see the clock change to 11, 12 and possibly even 1 before I finally fall asleep.

I have spent my life, from my teen years till now, trying to change this pattern. I have tried all kinds of sleep aids and tricks to make waking up easier. Nothing works. My body clock is set and refuses to budge. It is frustrating, having to live by a schedule that works for everyone else but not you however I have learned to live with it. I have learned to live for Saturday morning. Okay, noon. :-)

And on that note, I'm off to conquer the world. Okay, just today.

Loving Saturday mornings in Dave's World,
David

Me & Weird Al

2012-01-31T18:23:00.005-06:00

Currently listening to: Fat - Weird Al Yankovic
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Yes, you read that right, I'm listening to Weird Al's Fat, his spoof of Michael Jackson's Bad. I still find Al's video hilariously funny. So why am I watching it? Well, it ties in loosely with what I'm writing about in this post.

Long story short, I had a check-up over the past few months and overall I'm in good health... except for my liver. Don't worry, it's not serious (yet) but could become serious over time. I have what is ignominiously called fatty liver.

PLEASE NO ONE TELL MY MOM! I MEAN IT!

She will freak out in no uncertain terms. This is manageable but if she gets wind of it, it won't be. I love my Mom dearly but some things she just doesn't need to know.

Anyway, back to the fat. Essentially it is an excess build up of fat in and around the liver which is gradually impeding the liver in its normal functions (gee, wonder where they got the name for it?). Right now it's not serious but left unchecked, it could eventually become cirrhosis. This is a lifetime's worth of eating anything I wanted whenever I wanted in any amount I wanted catching up with me at last. So now it's official: I must eat healthy and I must exercise.

Shoot me now.

Ok, maybe don't shoot me. The change has begun... slowly. I have started altering my diet. Fat, sugar & processed foods of any kind have to go. In with the veggies and fibre and twigs and lawnmower clippings and so on. This is going to be a serious challenge since I have a sweet tooth the size of Jupiter. But it's gotta be done. And it will be good for me. I've known for a long time now that I need to lose about 40 pounds - or about 8 inches of belly fat. So, now I have the doctor's orders to back it up.

So, I can identify with Weird Al like never before. I'm fat, I'm fat, really really fat... but I can laugh at myself as much as I laugh at the video. It will take a while. It will be painful, in a figurative sense. Once I actually start exercising it will become painful in the literal sense. But at the end of it all, I should be leaner and healthier. THAT'S what I need to keep in mind. But for now... me & Weird Al will be buddies.

I've said it before and I'll say it again... ANY AND ALL SUGGESTIONS on how to eat or exercise are most welcome! I'm a newbie at this!

Fat and fighting it in Dave's World,
DW

And We're Off...

2012-01-14T20:17:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Experiment IV by Kate Bush
Current reading: The Tale of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

I love this song and video by Kate Bush. I remember the first time I saw the video it freaked me out & gave me the creeps. Of course the F/X look dated now but the story and the concept and the overall effect of the video are still creeeeeepy!

Well, obviously I didn't get a chance to blog from away. Computer access was limited. But I did have a wonderful time in Halifax with brother, wife, niece, nephew and of course, Mom! And oh yeah, Gunther the wonder hound! :-) I think we took more pictures of him than anything else!

The holiday was two weeks of pure rest and relaxation. All we did was sleep, eat, play games and take the odd walk or day trip. By the end of it I was getting antsy for something to do but still, it was nice. The weather was gorgeous - we had a picture-postcard perfect white Christmas and then a few days later it turned mild and the snow was gone and it was great!

And now, I'm back. Well, I've been back for a week now; took this long to get back into the swing of things and adjust to the regular schedule again. Nothing new or spectacular to report. I'm home, life goes on and we're off and running for 2012. Maybe it's not glamourous but it's a lot to be thankful for.

Looking forward to 2012 in Dave's World,
DW

Leaving on a Jet Plane...

2011-12-22T11:28:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Assorted Christmas songs on Galaxie
Current reading: The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski

Yes, it's that time. I leave this afternoon for two weeks in Halifax with eldest brother & family and my Mom. Really excited! I get in Halifax at 2:00 a.m.! Real Christmas travel adventure! So I thought I'd pop a little note on here to say MERRY CHRISTMAS to one and all, as I may not have computer access during my stay down there. And of course, right now I am in the panicked middle of trying to pack and making sure I haven't forgotten anything ... ah, the wonderful world of the last-minute person!

Anyway... everyone take care out there and perhaps I'll get to blog from away!

Travelling (and loving it) in Dave's World!
DW

We Did It!

2011-12-15T21:07:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Etcetera by Gabrielle Destroismaisons
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

Ahh, Gabrielle... Montréal... the best memories!

Yes!!! WE DID IT!!! The run of Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) was a tremendous success! Four great audiences, four great runs, four standing ovations - it was awesome! So many people have told us how much they loved the show, how much they laughed and enjoyed it... very rewarding! I am SO blessed to be a part of Regina Little Theatre and to have been a part of so many great shows! This one was actually my 15th "main stage" - incredible!

All that being said, once it was all said and done, I crashed. I was SO tired. I think now I am finally recovered and feel like I have myself back to somewhat "normal". ANd just in time as I leave in a week for Halifax to spend Christmas & New Year's with my bro & his family & my Mom! I'll be there for 2 weeks, returning to the west on January 6th. Can't wait! Milder weather and lounging around enjoying Mom's baking & cooking and playing games and just doing NOTHING! Sounds like a great holiday to me!

Tired but happy in Dave's World,
DW

"This is it, the night of nights!"

2011-12-01T00:03:00.005-06:00

Currently listening to: Jai Ho - Slumdog Millionaire Soundtrack
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

Ah, Jai Ho... such a happy, celebratory song! Kinda fitting I guess...

WOO HOO!

Tonight was opening night for Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some) and wow! What an opening night! We had about 275 in the audience, which is phenomenal for a Wednesday night show and they were a very enthusiastic and supportive group! Usually the Wednesday night crowd is quiet but not these guys! They were in it from the get-go. They made a fun show even more fun for us to do!

I was SO relieved because for me, the dress rehearsal was awful. I stumbled, flubbed and otherwise messed up so many times. I was SO discouraged and for once, I was actually afraid that I would not be able to do my part in the show. My confidence really took a beating. But, tonight turned all that around. We hit our stride right off the bat and despite a few minor hiccups here and there, we had a great show!

Now we just have to do the same for the next three nights... Ack! :)

Happy in Dave's World,
DW

Into The Stretch

2011-11-22T21:11:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: One of Our Submarines - Thomas Dolby
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

It's that time again.

We perform the above-mentioned play next week. Over the next 11 days, I have one evening free... that's it. My days will start at 6:00 a.m. and conclude somewhere around 11:00 p.m. (or later). Tired much? But I wouldn't trade it for anything. I love acting, I love theatre and this time of year would just feel odd if I weren't running about madly from work to rehearsal, grabbing "meals" and a few hours sleep here and there!

It probably goes without saying that I don't have much to say beyond that because my life consists of very little beyond that right now. I just have some random thoughts:

I love this song by Thomas Dolby. To me it exemplifies the best of 80's music - haunting, very "atmospheric", a little quirky, dealing with subject matter that one doesn't usually hear much about in typical pop songs. And why am I listening to it at this particular moment? Just a whim...

My last posting was on November 11th and I so wanted to talk about my aunt that I neglected to mention Remembrance Day. I was fortunate to have the day off so I went to the ceremony at the cenotaph. Three of my uncles and one of my grandfathers were/are veterans. My grandfather fought in WWI, two uncles in WWII and one in the Korean War. I was glad to be able to take the time to remember and be grateful for them. As we stood there in the minute of silence, the boom of "cannon fire" echoed around us; a couple of kilometres away at the legislative building, they were firing off a 21-gun-salute. It made me wonder how loud it must have been on the battlefield with dozens (hundreds?) of these gigantic guns going off and how terrifying to be standing there, knowing that some shell fired from a distance is about to come down somewhere around you. I really can't conceive of it. And the reason I can't is because I've never had to... because of what they did. I hope Canadians never forget that. I will do my part to remember.

Time for getting some sleep, if I can. The trouble with doing a play is that by the end of the day, I'm wired... but that's precisely when I should be trying to get some sleep! Oh well... did I mention I love this?

Taking a deep breath before the plunge in Dave's World,
DW

Good-bye to a Lovely Lady

2011-11-11T17:49:00.005-06:00

Currently listening to: Nothing at the moment
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some)

My last posting was about the loss of a friend. Since then I have also lost a family member, my Mom's eldest sister, Aunt Ev (short for Evelyn). This all happened a few weeks ago now but its only today that I've had the time and the inner wherewithal to capture it all and type it out. She was in her late 80's. She suffered a stroke about 5 years ago and had been in a care home since then. I saw her this past summer and she was doing well, all things considered. We talked and reminisced and laughed till we cried... just like old times. Early in October she came down with a bout of pneumonia and had to go into hospital. While there, they determined that her kidneys were basically shutting down. Her wish was that if her condition should deteriorate that no extreme measures be taken. They kept her comfortable and she eventually, peacefully, passed on.

To say I was heartbroken is an understatement. That I couldn't get home for the funeral made it even worse. She was such a huge part of my life, from my earliest memories on. Staying at her place when we would visit St. John's, admiring her beautiful garden & greenhouses (she had a amazing green thumb), doing crossword puzzles, staying up late listening to her and Mom talk about their childhood and other experiences and yes, laughing till we cried. All this accompanied by cups of tea and some "lunch" (what we Newfoundlanders call a late night snack). I would hear the same stories over and over again and they never ceased to be hilariously funny every time, as though we were hearing them for the first time.

When my Dad was dying in hospital and Mom was spending all her time there, Aunt Ev came out from St. John's and stayed with us, basically taking care of me as I was only 9 and in school. When Dad passed away, Mom called the house and told Aunt Ev, who then had the unenviable task of telling me. I remember her looking me in the eye and telling me very gently, her own voice breaking with emotion, that Dad was gone. Then she hugged me. I remember going back into the living room and watching cartoons while she finished making my lunch. It was all so simple... and yet, I am so glad she was there and handled it so well.

Happier times saw me visiting her when we would go to St. John's for the annual Salvation Army Congress. We would stay at her place (which she was always in the process of re-painting, re-wallpapering, cleaning or something - it was always immaculate!) and she would come with us to the services. Sitting next to her was an exercise in self-control as she would invariably make hilarious comments during the course of the meeting that would have me wanting to laugh out loud! She had a wonderfully mischievious sense of humour! But she took her faith seriously nonetheless. She enjoyed a good "Hallelujah time" as they would have called it.

When I went to university, she would come out every Saturday during my first year and take me back to her home to do my laundry and make sure that I had at least one decent cooked meal during the week! When life took me out of Newfoundland, she would make a point to call me once in a while just to see how I was doing.

She was a very strong woman, strong-willed, strong in her convictions and unafraid of any physical work. And her love was strong too. I was her nephew but I was made to feel like a son. Aunt Ev, you were a lovely lady. I loved you dearly and I'll always miss you.

Feeling the loss in Dave's World,
DW

Too Much Truth

2011-10-12T12:36:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Slipping Away by Moby & Mylène Farmer
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)

Wow, how life can change.

In my last posting, I was so very happy, having just wrapped up a successful and joyful run of The Three Musketeers and looking forward to starting work on the Christmas show.

Then I received word that an old friend of mine suddenly passed away. He was 41 (I believe). Married with three beautiful children, the eldest of which is just starting her first year of university. His son (about 15 I think) is the one who found him dead. The family was about to start a new chapter in life and now he's gone.

To say I'm stunned is an understatement. True, I haven't seen them in probably 10 years but up until then, we shared some of the most significant experiences in our lives together, over the course of several years. I just can't take it in. I understand the words but it's as though I can't grasp the meaning. He's just far too young. He and his family have so much to look forward to together. How can he suddenly just not be there?

I know the truth. We all will pass on someday. But this is just so out of left field. And so horribly cruel and unfair to his family. A few months ago I attended the funeral of a dear sweet lady who lived to be 105. As sad as we were to see her go, we were comforted by knowing she'd had a long and wonderful life. My friend's life is no less wonderful... but far, far too short. That for me is the hardest. It's very hard to find comfort in the face of that cruel truth.

I am hoping to attend the memorial service (Friday in Winnipeg). Something inside me just feels compelled to go. Maybe that's the only way the truth will sink in that he is indeed gone.

And then... what do I make of it all? Here's the selfish side of me. How does this cruel reality affect me? Does it make me wiser in how I live my life? Coming face to face once again with the truth that my life (like anyone's) could end abruptly, with no indication that the end is coming, does this make me more aware of how I'm spending my time? Not that I live maniacally for fear that death may take me at any moment but am I investing my time in what truly matters so that whenever my time comes, I may pass without regrets? I strive to do so, however imperfectly.

That segues into another truth. I took the time on my birthday to read all the posts I've made on this blog since I started it. Ouch. They are a series of snapshots into my life and overall, they accurately reflect me; someone who loves attention, who likes to entertain, who feels very deeply but doesn't always show it, who always wants to make a good impression, who is often driven by guilt and perfectionism, who doesn't always deal well with the ups & downs of life, who loves to blather on about anything and nothing as though it were all important, who wants to connect to people but more often than not, fails horribly in that endeavour. The truth? I am a supremely flawed individual but... I'm trying. I try to do the best I can and hope to not do too much damage along the way. I try to get better, to be better. Sometimes I make progress, sometimes I don't. Hello truth.

I grieve for my friend and his family. I can't begin to fathom what they are going through right now. I only pray they will receive all the comfort and strength they need to heal and that no bitterness takes root in their lives as a result of this tragedy. And me? I pray that this horrible reality check enables me to take another step forward on the way to becoming a better person, someone who can live a life that has no regrets.

Handling the truth in Dave's World,
DW

I Want My Musketeers Back!

2011-10-09T01:34:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Firedance from the Riverdance soundtrack
Current reading: Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!)

Tonight was the last show for The Three Musketeers and to paraphrase a line from Cardinal Richelieu, "I want my Musketeers back!" As nice as it is to have one's time back and return to a somewhat normal schedule, this show has been SO much fun and my cast-&-crew-mates have been so wonderful that I really don't want it to end! But I know it must... well, it already has... and as a very wise theatre mentor once told me, "Learn it, Love it, Let it go". That last one is the hard part. :)

I am still quite excited and feeling celebratory so I'm listening to some joyful, celebratory music, like the Firedance from the Riverdance show. Maria Pages is PHENOMENAL and the music is just pure joy - it fits how I feel right now. :) And speaking of celebrating, it is now officially my birthday! Yay me! :) Thank God for 43 years and counting! :)

And now I have the Christmas show to look forward to - yet another reason to celebrate! Our first read through is Tuesday night, so I have a couple of days break. I can't wait!! :)

Oh yeah, and I've taken this coming week off work, so I have a week's worth of holiday time to enjoy! Not going anywhere; just staying at home, relaxing and doing a purge of some of the stuff I've accumulated and no longer need - a long overdue task!

I have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for... how appropriate that all this is happening on the Thanksgiving weekend.

Happy, grateful, joyful and thankful in Dave's World,
DW

2 Down, 2 To Go!

2011-10-07T00:07:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Gonna Get Close to You - Dalbello
Current reading: The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig & Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) by Michael Carleton, Jim Fitzgerald & John K. Alvarez

Just a short note as it has just passed midnight and I have to be up at 6:00 a.m.! But I just wanted to say YAY! Our first two shows have gone well and we've had good audiences. Tomorrow night we will have well over 350 in attendance so it should be a great time! Can't wait! I am SO enjoying playing Athos - I will miss being a Musketeer!

Loving theatre & sword-fighting in Dave's World! :)
DW

Yoiks and Away!!!

2011-10-02T23:32:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO
Current reading: The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig & Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) by Michael Carlton, Jim Fitzgerald & John K. Alvarez

Yes, I'm listening to a song by LMFAO. I think the video is funny and the dancing is phenomenal (especially the elbow move at the 5:22 point). And the song is just pure, mindless dance fun - although I have to say I could do without the actual "rap" bits. But the overall effect is the same... "every day I'm shufflin'"! :)

But I digress. It's almost midnight and I've just got home from the tech rehearsal for Act One of The Three Musketeers. It was a long day and evening but this play is going to be SO MUCH FUN. I love the sword-fighting that I've learned, the characters are great fun, my cast & crew mates are the best and I'm sure this show will be a big crowd-pleaser. Tomorrow is Act Two tech, then Tuesday is our dress rehearsal and then Wednesday to Saturday is the run! I can't wait!!! :)

And to top it off, I was fortunate enough to be cast in the Christmas play for this year as well!! It's called Every Christmas Story Ever Told (And Then Some!) and there are only 3 of us in the cast! Yet together we tell/skewer almost every Christmas story and tradition that you can think of: Christmas Carol, It's A Wonderful Life, the Grinch, Charlie Brown, Rudolph, Frosty, the Macy's Parade, the Gift of the Magi... you get the point? It's mayhem, it's hilarious and I SO CAN'T WAIT to dive into it! :)

And so, in the immortal words of Daffy Duck portraying Robin Hood... Yoiks & Away!

Swashbuckling in Dave's World,
DW

Yikes & Tally-ho!

2011-08-27T20:07:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Superhero by Sky
Current reading: The Three Musketeers by Ken Ludwig, from the novel by Alexandre Dumas

Today was the first fencing lesson for those of us in the cast of Three Musketeers. Wow. I am SO out of shape it's not funny. My arm & shoulder hurt from trying to keep the sword extended properly and I was completely winded by the time we were done. It takes a great deal of hand-eye-foot coordination and alas, I lack coordination the way the Atacama Desert lacks rain. And yet, I play Athos, who is presented as the premiere swordsman in all of France! AND we only have 1 month to learn all the choreography for the sword duels and make them look believable! ACK!

So... I'm feeling a tad pressured already. Never mind the fact of learning lines and blocking and developing character as per usual... I have to learn how to duel as well. I'm definitely willing to work hard at it but I fear that my lifelong avoidance of all things physical / athletic / sporting may now cause me grief. I am all thumbs and have two-left-feet and lack any amount of physical strength or cardiovascular endurance.

Fencing will be a greater test for me, however, than just whether or not I am physically fit enough to do it. The real test will be facing every horrible insecurity that "sports" brings up within me. There's a reason why I avoided athletics all my life. It was the source of the greatest humiliations I've ever suffered in my life, from childhood through to adulthood. If there is anything that can make me feel so self-conscious and insecure that I would almost feel like running screaming from a room, it's having to participate in something "athletic". I can't count the number of times I was beaten up, tormented and made to feel worthless because I was "no good at sports". In high school, I begged my mother to write a letter to the school to have me excused from gym class (she didn't do it). It's not that I was put off by the physical activity, it was knowing that multiple times per week, I would have to go through my worst nightmares.

And that nightmarish feeling has never left me. I've gotten better at hiding it and dealing with it but it is just a potent now as it has ever been. And therein will be the test, to push past the sickening feelings and destructive voices and actually try to do the activity. Preventing myself from giving up every time I make a mistake will not be easy either. I never would quit; I never would let down my friends in this show. But the feeling will be there to get out of this humiliation at any cost. That will make it harder to focus. Any suggestions on how to drown out those voices/feelings from the past and accomplish this task would be welcome.

Well, I wasn't planning on that much of a confession. Underneath it all I am excited to learn and really do want to be the absolute best I can at this... I just have to do it while holding a whole lot of inner demons at bay. Parry! Lunge! Jump!

In any case, the adventure has begun. The next month or so will be very intense with lots of rehearsal and fencing practice and really, I am SO happy to do it. And who knows? Perhaps along the way, I, like my character Athos, my exorcise some of the demons of the past.

All for one and one for all in Dave's World,
DW

A LIttle Good News

2011-08-23T21:20:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Counting Down The Days by Sunfreakz featuring Andrea Britton
Current reading: Schulz & Peanuts by David Michaelis & The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

Despite the losses our country has suffered this week (the passing of Jack Layton & the tragic plane crash in Nunavut), I have had some happy times this past little while so I thought I would share a little about that.

First I had a wonderful two weeks back home in Newfoundland. I visited with Mom, as well as Bro # 2 and his wife and some friends that I haven't seen in years. Plus Mom and I got to do some road trips to parts of the province I'd never been to: Buchans/Millertown, Bell Island & Trinity. Plus, on the way down I had a 8 hour stop in Toronto & so got to hang out & sight-see with my friend RA there and on the way back, I got to overnight in Montreal! More sight-seeing and visiting and just enjoying being wrapped up in my favourite city. The weather was fantastic and the overall experience was enjoyable and rejuvenating. It was the nicest holiday I've had in a while.

Second, upon my return, I learned that I got a role in RLT's first play of the new season! I get to play Athos in The Three Musketeers! I am SO EXCITED! And... we will be getting some fencing lessons from the Regina Fencing Club, so I think we will get to do some real sword-fighting!!!! I can't wait!!! :-)

So yeah, a little something to smile about in the midst of a sad time; gotta be thankful for the those things that make ya smile.

Happy despite the sadness in Dave's World,
DW

Thank you Jack

2011-08-22T18:51:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Drop the Needle by Maestro Fresh Wes
Current reading: Schulz & Peanuts by David Michaelis

Today, the Honourable Jack Layton, leader of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition and of the New Democratic Party, lost his battle with cancer. Whatever one's political convictions, no one could doubt this man's love for Canada and his determination to do what was in the best interest of Canadians. He was an uncommon man because he displayed common decency and courtesy and common sense in a place too often devoid of it. His drive, his positive outlook, his incredible work ethic all made him worthy of a place of leadership and of the tributes he is currently receiving. His life was cut off far too soon and he will be sorely missed. To his family, friends and colleagues, I extend my heartfelt condolences. I grieve today as well.

Here is a link to Mr. Layton's "final letter". If you haven't read it as yet, please do so right now. It moves me to tears to read it. It's not flowery or sentimental; it is genuine and impassioned and heartfelt and therein lies its power and therein also lay the leadership and appeal of Mr. Layton. I hope that his trust in us, his fellow Canadians, will not be misplaced and that we will show true respect for this fine man by taking his parting words to heart; to be people of love, hope and optimism who will make Canada a better place.

Thank you, Mr. Layton, for all you did on behalf of your fellow Canadians. We are grateful.

Saddened in Dave's World,
DW

These Are A Few Of My Favourite Things: Songs

2011-06-15T21:41:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: April Fool by Chalk Circle
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

So, I was sitting here at the computer and wanted to blog something but just didn't know what. Finally it came to me to just share something I liked. So I may periodically do a random list of things I like and thought I would start with some songs I quite like.

Disclaimer: I have never been able to pick a "favourite" anything. I can powerfully and passionately like many things and make a case why any one of them are my favourite. Thus the selections below are just representative of dozens of favourites but I can't say any one of them is the favourite above all others.

So... a few of my favourite songs:

Live Out Loud (Steven Curtis Chapman)
I guess this one goes without saying, as it was the inspiration behind the blog and its web address. But before it gave rise to the blog, it was a song I loved from the first time I heard it. The life, the energy, the joy, the fun video; it's just one big celebration of life that makes me want to leap to my feet and dance for the sheer joy of being alive - and then share that joy with everyone else!

Let It Rain (Amanda Marshall)
Amanda is among my favourite female singers of all time; she probably comes closest to being the favourite. I mean, she could sing the phone book and I would sit there enraptured and ask for more. And this song, her very first single, is one of my all-time fave songs. The passion, the desire to fight for life, the refusal to give up hope even when everything seems hopeless.. did I mention the passion? I remember seeing her in concert and when she performed this song (I think it was her encore), it was practically a spiritual experience - everyone was standing, many sang along, many had their hands raised as though it was their song, their heart's cry. And it still never fails to move me deeply.

Evacuate the Dance Floor (Cascada)
From the profound to the purely fun :-) I love dance music; it is probably my favourite genre/style. I love pretty much anything that has a great beat, lots of energy, that makes me want to dance. And this song, for whatever reason, for me, has it in spades! From the opening synth chord splash to the final note, this song hits me like a jolt of electricity, makes my jaw drop, my eyes pop and makes me not just want to dance, but to dance like a maniac and never stop! It's fun, it's full of life & energy and I find it joyful - a celebration of dancing for the sake of dancing; just pure fun, cutting loose, without a care in the world and letting the music carry you away. I can truly say I identify with the line "I'm infected by the sound!" Oh, and if you watch the video... I so wish I could do the flip that the guy does at about the 1:42 mark!!!!

Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God) (Kate Bush)
Back to the profound. From the first time I heard this song, I was entranced. Hauntingly beautiful, ethereal, magical, passionate, addictive drum beat, fantastically choreographed video, thought-provoking lyrics - yup, I was totally hooked and still am. I think Kate Bush is a creative genius. This song makes me wish I could dance interpretatively. Yes, I know, that sounds hokey but this song makes me want to dance with purpose and meaning, as opposed to Evacuate which makes me want to dance "just for fun". I find the music and the "feel" of the song and the atmosphere it creates to be soothing and stimulating all at once. Listen especially to the sound that opens the song for about the first 8 seconds and which concludes the song (about the 4:46 mark). If I could play that sound continually somehow when I went to bed, I would sleep like a baby! The song relaxes me in both body and mind while at the same time it inspires me to reflect on deep and profound mysteries. One interesting side note. In the chorus, Kate sings: "If I only could, I'd make a deal with God and I'd get him to swap our places." I only discovered last year (reading an article online about Kate and her take on the song) that what she means here is that she is asking God to swap her place with her significant other; that the whole song is about men & women being able to trade places and understand one another better. I always thought the line was her asking God to trade His place with her! To me that was a far more dramatic proposal! :) And I still like my interpretation better - I think it takes the song to a whole different level. :)

Don't Give Up (Chicane featuring Bryan Adams)
Another dance song - one of many songs by Chicane that I really love - that inspires me on many levels. It actually combines many of the elements of the songs above. It has the life & energy & joy that makes me want to dance for joy (like Evacuate and Live Out Loud) as well as dance with meaning and purpose (like Running Up That Hill). It has a haunting, ethereal "atmosphere" (like Running Up That Hill) and a simple-yet-profound wisdom (like Live Out Loud and Let It Rain) as well as the never-give-up determination of Let It Rain: there will always be challenges and difficulties in life but you can persevere and overcome them... and maybe even dance through them! :)

Well, there you have it. A few of my favourite things: songs. Don't know if it was of any interest to anyone but I enjoyed sharing it. And listening to each of these songs as I wrote about them! :)

Living, Dancing, Running Out Loud in the Rain in Dave's World,
DW

Of Dreams and Bumblebees

2011-06-12T22:17:00.006-06:00

Currently listening to: Slipping Away by Moby & Mylène Farmer
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

I'm still enchanted by the song Slipping Away (I've even added a line from the song to my list of inspiring quotes at the top of the blog). For me, the song is a perfect mix of joyful music and bittersweet lyrics that celebrate the joy of life while realistically recognizing the sadness that sometimes comes in life. But the joy is greater than the sadness!

It has played into my thoughts this evening in a little different way than usual, however. Earlier tonight I watched the broadcast of the Tony Awards. It was great fun with great performances and one particularly touching acceptance speech by Nikki M. James. I hope to be a bumblebee too (listen to her speech and you'll know what I mean)!!

But I digress (what else is new?). As much fun as it was to watch that show, it hurt a little. Because I saw my childhood dream on that screen and I now know that achieving that dream is pretty much impossible (I know, that's not what a true bumblebee would say! If you don't know what I mean, that's because you didn't watch Nikki's acceptance speech yet, right?).

But I re-digress. Yes, that's right, I said "my childhood dream". From a very early age I wanted to be a performer (actor, singer, whatever). But I was one of those shy kids who had no self-confidence whatsoever and so I believed that there was no way on earth I could ever be a performer. My self-esteem was so low that I believed that I was ugly and completely devoid of talent and so there was no possible way I could ever be a performer; I lacked what I understood to be the most basic elements necessary for the job!

Add to this was the fact that I believed (rightly or wrongly I don't know) that I would not have been supported by my family in pursuing this dream. In my head I imagined trying to tell them that I wanted to be an actor when I grew up; the imagined response was that I would be told that it was a silly idea (and potentially sinful), that I should put my mind and energy towards a real job like being a doctor or something along those lines (not that I ever would have been a doctor; I spent so much time in hospital as a child that I never wanted to set foot in one again - but I digress).

So, rightly or wrongly I never gave voice to my dream. I just watched from the sidelines. I attended one "drama club" meeting in high school; I had to do a brief "improv" skit which completely bombed and I never went back. In university I did a night class in theatre which I thoroughly enjoyed but from which I learned virtually nothing. I made some cool friends but I didn't know if my "acting" was good, bad or indifferent. I think it was so-so at best. But at least I had fun and I knew I wanted more. I was also involved in a couple of singing groups, Vision at St. John's Citadel and King's Joy at home in Gander. Again, great fun, I think I learned some but I always felt like the weakest link. And that kind of summed up my experience. Dreaming big, enjoying these little tastes of "performing" yet feeling so inadequate and wishing I could improve yet not knowing how or lacking the resources to even find out.

Years went by and I ended up in Yorkton, Saskatchewan and to make a long story short, finally overcame my shyness and auditioned for Yorkton Community Theatre's production of My Fair Lady. They gave me a part in the chorus, I was overjoyed; the rest is history. The ice was finally broken and I have been performing in plays and musicals ever since. I LOVE it. No really... I LOVE performance. I was fortunate to get involved with other groups (like Paper Bag Players) and to take acting classes from a master performer, Carrie Pengilly, at Free My Muse Theatre Company. Since coming to Regina, I have been privileged to perform with both Regina Little Theatre and Regina Summer Stage.

So am I not living my childhood dream? Well, yes and no. Don't get me wrong, I am SO SUPER-GRATEFUL for the opportunities I have had to perform. I have LOVED every moment! But it is a hobby, not my career. It is a passion I have to pursue in my spare time & energy, not with all my time and energy. And that's why the Tony Awards show hurt and that's why the message of the song Slipping Away feels particularly poignant tonight. The chance to make performing a career has slipped away or at the very least, has become an incredible long shot (I know, I know, that's not what a bumblebee would say!).

I love to come home exhausted from giving my all in a show; as John Leguizamo said tonight, from "leaving a piece of your soul" on the stage. Again, I'm so grateful I've had some chances to do just that and I know I have fallen far short of that in many attempts but that is what I aim for. I just wish I could do it every day. Seeing the passion and joy these performers have as they describe how much they love to get up and "go to work" every day makes my heart ache a little. Most days, I don't want to get up and go to work. Don't get me wrong, my job is great and I work at a great place with great people... I just have no passion for it. I want to perform.

I want to make people laugh, cry, reflect on life, see some truth, look at life or themselves in a new light. I want to dive deeply into a character, into a story and bring it to life in such a way that it actually impacts a person's life. I want to do that every day. But it's highly improbable I will ever have that opportunity. And that hurts. But I will continue to perform as often as I can via the avenues I have and be grateful for every opportunity I get.

But... Nikki and her touching acceptance speech have indeed touched me. Maybe, just maybe, the chance to have an acting career is not completely gone. For sure it would be a enormous challenge. But would I be willing or even able to take it on? I don't know. But... that's not what a bumblebee would say. I wonder if I have any buzz left. Right now as I type this, I think not. Yet doesn't that fly in the face of all the "inspiring quotes" on my blog page and indeed the inspiration that brought this blog to life in the first place? To live out loud? Granted, there is such a thing as "biting off more than one can chew" but... how do you know the bite is too big until you take it? How do you know you can't fly unless you flap the wings God gave you, however small they might be? Hmm, maybe I could start a career as a writer for those cheesy inspirational posters they hang on office walls. But I digress.

Well, this is one of the most cathartic blog entries I've written in a very long time. Thank you for reading if you have made it this far. I'm surprised I made it this far! Meanwhile, I will continue to dream and consider whether or not I can put my money where my quotes are and try to be a bumblebee (okay, last chance to watch the speech if you haven't already - click here).

Dreaming and reflectively buzzing in Dave's World,
DW

Some Good News

2011-05-17T21:47:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Slipping Away by Moby & Mylène Farmer
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

I stumbled upon the above song after listening to Mylène Farmer's Désenchantée (which I love!) Slipping Away is also a phenomenal song. I can't believe it's been out for 5 years and this is the first I've heard it! But the good news is, I have found it now!

Donald Trump is NOT running for U.S. president. That is FANTASTIC news. The apocalypse is not as near as we once thought.

I get to go to an improv show and also go out for karaoke this week! FUN! That is good news.

I saw Elton John live this past week. He played for 2 1/2 hours straight. Too many great hits to count. His new stuff was good too. His back-up singers were awesome and included Rose Stone, one of the founding members of Sly & the Family Stone! It was just an awesome night of fun, music and memories! Very good news!

I'm in good health and really have very little to complain about in life. Now that is incredibly good news!

Just wanted to share some good news from Dave's World,
DW

I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues

2011-05-11T18:35:00.000-06:00

I'm going to see Elton John in concert tonight! Woo hoo!!! :)

Happy and singing in Dave's World!
DW

The End Is Near

2011-05-02T20:54:00.003-06:00

The Conservatives have won a majority government.

I am embarrassed to be a Canadian.

The apocalypse cannot be far off.

Mourning in Dave's World,
DW

The New PC Party (Pathetic Conservatives)

2011-03-13T14:23:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Dancing On My Own - Robyn
Current reading: Schulz & Peanuts - A Biography by David Michaelis

This has been bugging me for quite some time now so I finally need to get it off my chest. I have never been a fan of the current Conservative party and our George W. Bush wannabe Prime Minister, Stephen Harper. I firmly supported the "ABC position of then Newfoundland premier Danny Williams in the last election (Vote Anything But Conservative). But the current slate of attack ads they are running have really gotten my goat.

These ads reveal a party so devoid of ideas, creativity and leadership that they can only resort to the level of kindergarten children slinging mud at the other kids. They are dredging up old quotes by Michael Ignatieff that have nothing to do with anything and try to make it sound like he's not in Canada for any other purpose than personal advancement. If a pastor did with the Bible what the Conservatives are doing with Ignatieff's quotes, that pastor would be labelled a "proof-texter". Proof-texting is taking an isolated verse or verses from the Bible in order to prove what you want to prove, even though it may be completely contrary to the Bible's actual teaching. For example:

1) "So Judas... went away and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:5)
2) "Go... and do likewise." (Luke 10: 37)
3) "What you are about to do, do quickly." (John 13:27)
So, from these verses, we can conclude that the Bible supports suicide by hanging.

Ridiculous of course. But that is exactly what the Conservatives do with their attack ads. Instead of relating the entire truth of a story, they cherry-pick the words and phrases that, when strung together, will cast Ignatieff in a bad light.

Never mind the fact that these ads offer nothing in the way of vision or leadership. They say nothing of what the Conservatives have in mind to make Canada a better place. They offer no glimpse into policy or ideas or plans. They are nothing more than fear-mongering; devoid of intelligent thought. They basically say "Stick with us or else scary things will happen."

Never mind the fact that the very ads themselves are self-contradictory. In the ad praising Stephen Harper's "leadership", they say that our economic recovery is still fragile and then talk about how strong Canada is economically and how we are leading the way in the world. So which is it? Are we fragile or are we strong?

Then there are the ads singing the praises of the government's economic "Action Plan". Lest we forget, the Conservatives were not going to do anything in response to the global financial crisis; they only put an "action plan" into places AFTER the opposition parties clamoured for the government to do something, as other world governments were doing. Now the Conservatives act like it was their great idea all along.

And on top of all this, there have been innumerable gaffes and abuses of their position and power.

And let's not forget - they are only forming the government on the basis of minimal support across the country. They received about 30% of the votes in the last election. BUT only about 60% of eligible voters actually cast ballots. So that means the Conservatives have the support of 30% of 60... so in reality they only had the backing of about 20% of eligible voters! They are NOT the choice of the majority of Canadians, not by a long shot!

How can this party be leading in the polls? Are the majority of Canadians that gullible that they are believing this nonsense? I am truly afraid for my country. This is NOT the party that we need leading us. Granted, maybe none of the options look much better - I personally have no party affiliations. I just want a government that works and that can show me it has a vision for the country. So far, the Conservatives have shown me that they are just in it for the power trip and will do anything to keep that hold on power.

Sorry, I just had to get that off my chest. I have SO had enough of the Conservatives. I would love to have an election if I thought we could bounce them out of power. But sadly, the opposition parties aren't doing much better, since they are not winning over Canadians hearts and minds with a vision of something bigger and better either. But still... it's as simple as ABC, Canada. ANYTHING BUT CONSERVATIVE!

There.., okay... now I think it's all off my chest. For now.

Politically angry in Dave's World,
DW

A Boost & A Helpless Feeling

2011-03-11T23:28:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Stereo Love by Edward Maya & Vika Jigulina
Currently reading: Schulz & Peanuts - A Biography by David Michaelis

I love the mellow, soothing and yet totally make-ya-wanna-dance feel & sound of the song Stereo Love. Click the title above to see the video. At about the 36 or 37 second mark, you will see my dream house! What a place to live on what I am guessing is one of the Greek islands? And then around 47 seconds in, you'll see what has to be one of the most beautiful churches ever! How much is airfare to Greece?

Anyway, the song is one of those songs that just makes me feel better, a boost. And I've had a few boosts tonight, as I've caught up with some of the comments left on the last few postings. Thank you to everyone who's taken the time to stop by and especially leave a line or two. I can't tell you how much I appreciate it. I think it must be the actor / attention lover in me... I love to have an audience! Whether its on a stage or posting a blog entry... something inside me needs to know that there is an audience out there to make it "worthwhile". What does that say about me??? Bono has said that "You don't become a rock star unless you've got something missing somewhere. That is obvious to me. If you were of sound mind you could feel normal without 70,000 people a night screaming their love for you." Now I am certainly no rock star and certainly don't have "fans" but I think I can understand the underlying principle. So... am I missing something (besides the proverbial "loose screw", thank you peanut gallery)? What is it about knowing there's an audience out there that makes such a difference? I actually felt so boosted by knowing there has been an audience that I decided to blog tonight! Makes ya think, don't it?

Some of the other boosts?
- Hearing some news from Niece Spice, good news. Makes me happy! Yay Niece Spice!
- Hearing from faithful friends who still take the time to let me know they're out there even when I am so HORRIBLE at returning the communication. Thanks for being real friends.
- Sharing in the comments about how the personal training is going. Once I "put it down", I realized that indeed I have started the great journey. And I've probably gotten farther this time than I have on other attempts. So, while I am still a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOONG way from achieving my ultimate goals, at least I'm on the way.

And the helpless feeling? One word: Japan. Maybe there is something to 2012 after all?? (Kidding!) But to watch those tsunami images is mind-boggling and heart-rending. And just the day before a quake in China claimed hundreds of lives and left over 100,000 homeless. Then there's the ongoing suffering in Haiti and the frustration of all the promises of aid coming to nothing. And of course, Libya. I wish I were a ninja; I'd sneak into Libya and take care of Moammar Nutjob myself. But... I am powerless to help in any of these situations. I can donate, I can pray... but I can't "do" anything. And for someone semi-ADHD like myself (not officially, that's tongue-in-cheek)... being unable to "do" something is almost a physical pain (that's real). I just want to rush over to Japan and start digging through that rubble myself. I just want to help. ARGH! But I know... I'll do what I can and that's all I can do.

Anyway, there you have it. A boosted entry in Dave's World. Did I mention I also LOVE & COULD LIVE OFF Booster Juice? Coincidence? I think not.

Yeah. Boosted in Dave's World... now I'm going to bed to crash for the night.
DW

So I'm A Little Slow...

2011-03-01T22:19:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Live Out Loud - Steven Curtis Chapman
Current reading: Schulz and Peanuts - A Biography by David Michaels

So, here's the thing. I have often posted links to various songs and videos that I have found on YouTube and elsewhere... but I never thought to look for the song that inspired this blog in the first place until TONIGHT! Am I dense or what?

Anyway... click the pic (which is a captured still from the video) and check out the song that is one of my all time favourite songs EVER and which was (as I just said) a part of the inspiration for blogging at all. I just think it would be SO much fun to do what the vanload of people do in this video... and the whole randomly dancing in the streets? LOVE IT! Definitely want to do that someday!

That's all... the song/video got my blood pumping and I just had to share it. I hope it gets your toes tapping and puts a smile on your face and inspires you to live out loud as well!

Slow, but alive, in Dave's World!
DW

Owie!

2011-02-03T22:35:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Here Comes the Rain Again - Eurythmics
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

Yes, owie. I have some owies to share.

# 1 - I just stubbed my toe on a portable stereo that was sitting in the hallway waiting to be put back in its proper place... or maybe it was just lurking there waiting for a victim. In the words of Yosemite Sam: "Rackin' brackin' frackin'..."!!!!

# 2 - I auditioned for a part in the upcoming RLT production of Noises Off, a hilarious British farce. But alas, this time around I did not get a part. I was hoping to, as the play involves a lot of physical comedy, something I have yet to try! And it would have been a riot to rehearse and perform! But you can't get cast in everything you try out for. And I am quite enjoying having my evenings free, not having to run off to rehearsal several nights a week. I'll get to sit back and enjoy the show this time around. I am toying with the idea of directing a one act play for the Spring One Acts cabaret, so I may have some theatrical activity in the coming months anyway!

# 3 - My whole body is an owie. I've started training with a personal trainer twice a week. He is very good; he explains and demonstrates each exercise and makes sure that I am doing it correctly. He explains why he is getting me to do this-or-that particular exercise and how it will benefit me. I appreciate all the information and the student in me loves learning these new things. He has a very methodical approach to fitness: first I have to learn and master the basic movements, then we add weight and begin to condition the body, then we move on to building the body (not bodybuilding!). Well, right now I am so freakishly weak that just learning the basic movements is wearing me out and making me SORE! After an entire lifetime of avoiding sports and physical activities like they were the Black Death, it's no surprise that "the basics" are killing me. But, I have confidence in my trainer and his methods - maybe this time I will actually make progress and begin shedding pounds and shaping up. It would be nice to one day actually be able to take my shirt off in the summer and not feel humiliated, ashamed and afraid. Yes, I know, that's pure vanity but that's where it's at. Okay, I want to be healthy for the long term as well.

Okay, that's all the owies for now. Oh no wait, one more. I have to get up at 6 a.m. For me, that is the biggest owie of all!

Rackin', brackin' frackin' in Dave's World :)
DW

Some Reasons To Be Happy

2010-12-14T22:12:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: When Love Takes Over - David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

That's right, no reading right now. I've just wrapped up both A Christmas Carol and The Queen of Bingo so I need a break from reading!

But I digress (it's a talent.. oops, see I did it again...)... ahem...

As the title of this entry indicates, I want to share some reasons why I am happy right now:

1) A Christmas Carol was FANTASTIC! We got a standing ovation all four nights and I had SO MUCH FUN doing this show, portraying both Charles Dickens and Ebenezer Scrooge. It was a dream role with an outstanding ensemble on a fabulous set; it really captured the "magic" of the Dicken's story as well as the amazing 1951 movie starring Alistair Sim (the greatest version of the story ever on film, IMHO). This role will always be one of my favourite roles of all time, if not the number one favourite! I really miss it and all the gang!

2) The Queen of Bingo was also a fabulous and fun show! I'm so glad I got to be a part of this production. Following hot on the heels of A Christmas Carol, I was grateful for a part that was much smaller and which allowed me to read the majority of my lines from the script (I was the Bingo Caller, a voice role only). I did appear a couple of times as the Irish priest running the church bingo and I got to do some "improv" by interacting with the audience during the intermission; we played an actual Bingo game and gave away a turkey! Kudos to the two leads who carried the show and kept everyone in stitches and to everyone else involved for making it a joy of a production to be part of!

3) I just got to chat with my niece, via the miracle of the interweb. She always makes me smile & laugh and I enjoy the time we spend together, even if it's over the 'net. But soon....

4) ...we'll be together for real! I leave for Toronto & Ottawa on December 19th for Christmas with family! Mom will fly up from Newfoundland and we'll stay with bro # 2 and his wife and visit Niece and her hubby also! It's gonna be SO MUCH FUN! I can't wait!! Only 5 more sleeps!

5) Christmas. I love this time of year: the lights, the snow, the carols, the special movies and TV shows, the celebration! And the time off doesn't hurt either... I return to Regina on January 2nd so I have 2 weeks away! WOOT!

Say, this is fun, focussing on the good things! But it is late and to bed I must go. All the same, thank you to the Niece for egging me on to actually type up a post tonight. I actually do enjoy blogging... when I realize that I don't have to write a New York Times editorial and can just post something fun! :)

Happy in Dave's World and hoping you have lots of reasons to be happy in your world!
DW

The Meaning of Life and the Universe... and Other Thoughts

2010-10-27T23:16:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: One Night in Bangkok - Vinyl Shakerz
Currently reading: Still Stands the House by Gwen Pharis Ringwood AND A Christmas Carol by Michael Paller AND The Queen of Bingo by Jeanne Michels & Phyllis Murphy

Well, where to begin?

How about with a HAPPY BIRTHDAY to me? It was back on October 9. I have the same birthday (but not birth year!) as John Lennon. Cool huh? Even cooler... I realized that by turning 42, I am now the meaning of life and the universe! How is that possible? If you are familiar with The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, then you would know :) In the story, a race of hyper-intelligent pan-dimensional beings [build] a computer named Deep Thought to calculate the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything... the answer [is] revealed to be 42. (Thank you Wikipedia).
SO... I am 42... therefore I am the answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe and Everything! :-) And not conceited either!

Another way of looking at it is that I am now 21 for a second time... that has some awesome possibilities!

Yes, you read correctly at the top of this post; I am reading three plays right now. The first one is the one I am directing and it will be performed Oct. 29 & 30. My actors & stage manager are FANTASTIC and I think it will be a great show! I am VERY excited to see the first play I've ever directed go before an audience. I have to say that I have enjoyed the director's role but my first love is still the acting. Nonetheless, I would try my hand at directing again if the opportunity arose.. and if I had a stage manager & actors of the same calibre!!

The other two plays I am acting in. A Christmas Carol goes up December 1-4 and The Queen of Bingo the very next weekend. I am loving both plays and both roles, but I have to say that the Christmas Carol one is VERY dear to my heart. I don't think I can put into words how much it means to me to be in this show and to actually play Scrooge!

Speaking of shows, tomorrow night I am going to see Reba McEntire in concert. I don't know whether to laugh or cry. I HATE country music... I would jump out of a speeding car to avoid listening to country music. But friends of mine were going as a group and decided they didn't want me to be left out so they got me a ticket as a surprise. Yup, I was surprised all right. But the fact that my going along meant that much to them was very touching, so I am going. I will endure the torture for their sake.

Not that Reba is a bad singer. I think she has a decent enough voice. I just HATE country music. There is nothing about it that remotely appeals to me. Never has been!! I went on her website to see if I might recognize any of her songs... not a one. The only singles I recognized were her duet with Kelly Clarkson ("Because of You") - which also makes me want to leap from speeding cars - and her cover of 'The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia". Of all the songs she's ever released that were purely her own, I don't recognize a single one of them. Torture. But I hear she puts on a good stage show, so it might be entertaining. Again, it's all about thoughtful friends who just wanted me to be a part of something very special in their lives... I'll keep telling myself that as my ears bleed and I resist the urge to chew open my wrists. :-)

That aside, we've had our first blast of winter here... 15 cms of snow, high winds and roads converted into glassy rinks of slippery death. It took me 2 hours to get to work this morning (needless to say I was late) in a bus that was packed tighter than any sardine can. It took over an hour to get home as well; usually the bus trip is about 40 minutes, tops.

I'm sure I could ramble on about more random stuff but I think that'll do for now.

Hitchhiking through the Galaxy in Dave's World,
DW

I'm A Divo and Other Thoughts

2010-09-20T21:32:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Higher State of Consciousness by Josh Wink (Dirty South remix)
Current reading: Still Stands the House by Gwen Pharis Ringwood

Disclaimer: I love the song Higher State of Consciousness but I HATE the video. The idea of a big house party is not so bad but the pathetically unimaginative exploitation video they have shot is an insult. The song deserved so much better.

But I digress... again. I decided since I had a few moments to spare this evening I would blog something but once again, all ideas and creative inspiration have fled in the face of the blank composition screen.

However, in re-reading yesterday's post, it hit me. I'm a divo. I don't think I have the nasty qualities of a diva but I certainly love to perform and to be in front of a crowd. It's not because I think I'm so great; it just gives me such sheer joy and excitement to do it! It's one of those "I feel alive!" kind of activities. So rather than refer to myself as someone who hogs the spotlight or is a ham (I don't think I am the former but I probably am the latter), I choose the more refined sounding term, divo. I think the fact that I like to have a refined term to reference myself is in itself a confirmation of my divo tendencies, no? :-)

I found out this evening who my castmates will be for A Christmas Carol. Some I already know and several I've never met, so I'm really looking forward to getting into rehearsals and being a part of creating something magical on stage, as well as a wonderful off-stage family in the package.

My roommate and I watched the premiere of The Event tonight. I RARELY ever watch TV but I have to say that the ads for this show caught my interest, so I thought I would check it out.

How disappointing.

It wasn't terrible; it did a good job of keeping your interest by forcing you to fill in the gaps in the story and piece everything together... but I couldn't help feel like I was watching a mash-up of Lost and V with a dash of 9/11 (yes, the actual attacks) and the Da Vinci Code with nods to who knows how many more shows and movies that have gone before. In other words... I was unimpressed. It wasn't that difficult to piece things together and while they have yet to reveal who the mysterious people-that-must-be-kept-hidden are, I'd bet good money they're aliens or visitors from another dimension or the future... some kind of sci-fi cliché. I will probably try watching a few more episodes to see where the storyline starts to go but so far, the show did not live up to the hype.

Well, that's it for tonight. Nothing special, just some random thoughts. Lack creativity much?

Musing in Divo's World,
DW

Woo Hoo!!!!!!

2010-09-19T15:53:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: See the Lights by Simple Minds
Current reading: Still Stands the House by Gwen Pharis Ringwood

Click the link for the Simple Minds' song noted above. This band was so much more than the song they are most famous for, Don't You (Forget About Me). That song's success overshadowed so many other great songs they created, See the Lights being one of them.

But I digress... no surprise there! Anyway, the "Woo Hoo!" is because I got a role in Regina Little Theatre's Christmas play! They are performing a unique version of A Christmas Carol and I get to play the author Charles Dickens who in turn pretends to be Scrooge! I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!! This is my all-time favourite story EVER and I LOVE the 1951 film black & white film version featuring Alistair Sim (the best version ever made of the story, IMHO). This really is a dream play and a dream role for me! I am so honoured to have been chosen for this role and I really want to research and dig into the character so that when people see this play, it hits home like the movie does! I want people to leave that theatre reformed, wanting to go out and do good to their fellow man! Did I mention I'm EXCITED?!?!?!

Not that this overshadows the current grand theatre adventure I am on, directing for the first time. My cast is amazing and already, just a few rehearsals in, I am seeing a lot of what I think the play needs to be coming through. So I am EXCITED about that too!

I'm going to have a very busy autumn, working on two plays at once, but I love this theatre thing so much, I don't think I'll mind. In fact, I've pretty much forgotten the cold weather that we've all been complaining about for the past week (3 nights below freezing, highs of 7 & 8? In mid-September? REALLY???).

Anyway, I was so excited I had to share! Any and all advice and suggestions on how to direct and how to portray Dickens / Scrooge are welcome!

WOO HOO-ing in Dave's World,
DW

Blogger's Block

2010-09-07T22:31:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Le monde est stone by Garou
Current reading: Still Stands the House by Gwen Pharis Ringwood

So, why is it that I can think of and even compose really good blog entries at random moments throughout the day and yet when the time comes that I want to actually type something, I go blank? Blogger's Block?

Well, so much for the bike-riding thing. I've gone once since my last posting here. I really am starting to think that being "in shape" is a lost cause for me. I just can't get motivated. But I don't want to just throw in the towel either. Something inside me still says I should try... I just don't know where to begin anymore.

Anyhoo... on to something better! I have my cast in place and we have our second read-through tomorrow night for the one-act play I'm directing called Still Stands the House. I'm very excited to have taken on my first-ever directing role! The play is fantastic and I can't wait to see it on stage and see/hear the audience reaction - hopefully it will send shivers up and down their spines!!

And, well, yeah, that's about it. Where do all those great blog ideas go to when you need them?

Muddling along in Dave's World,
DW

I actually did it

2010-08-16T22:35:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Ooh Ahh Just a Little Bit by Gina G. (great dance tune from the '90s)
Current reading: Still Stands the House by Gwen Pharis Ringwood

Yes, I actually did it.

Did what you ask?

Nothing earth-shattering. I went for a bike ride this evening.

Sure, the back tire was flat, having sat idle in the backyard shed for a couple of months now but I got it pumped up and went for a ride. It lasted about 20 minutes and according to Google Maps I covered about 6.25 kilometres.

Why bother blogging about a bike ride?

Well, I have blogged more times than I would care to count about how unhappy I am with my weight and physical condition and how I have tried to embark on various exercise programs to try to lose said weight. Yet for all my blogging and bemoaning of the situation, I have actually done, well, nothing. For the record, I now weigh somewhere in the range of 205-210 lbs, the heaviest I've ever been in my life and I'm carrying it all around the belly; I have about a 40 inch waistline. I know that is the worst place to carry excess weight and I really, really need to do something about it for my own long-term health.

So finally this evening, I went for a bike ride.

I can't count how many times I have "resolved" in my mind that I'm going to do this-or-that exercise or follow Plan X and then never done it. Or maybe tried it for a few days and then given it up. I guess it has always seemed to be a hopeless cause, a battle lost before it was even fought, so why bother? So tonight I decided to just do something for the enjoyment of it. No wondering how many calories I burned or if it was the "right" exercise to do or any analysis of the sort. I just needed to finally break the ice of lethargy and apathy. Now here's hoping it doesn't freeze back over.

Feel free to kick me in the butt or yell at me or poke in the blubber (my ribs are nowhere to be found anymore) to remind me to (as Nike would say) "just do it". Maybe someday I'll actually have a healthy (or at least, healthier) lifestyle. But for now, it's just about trying to take those first few steps on the journey of a thousand miles... or 35 pounds... or 8 belly inches.

So, yeah... I did it. I went for a bike ride. Aren't you glad you came and looked at this webpage?

We'll see what happens tomorrow.

Wanting to feel hopeful in Dave's World,
DW

Settling In

2010-06-08T21:21:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: All She Wants To Do Is Dance by Don Henley
Current reading: The Testimony

Well, the house is feeling like home already. Whether it's because the layout is actually similar to the house I grew up in or whether it's just the fact of having more living space, the fact is I feel so much better here than in the former residence. It was a nice little place, but it was exactly that: little. It was adequate and I was thankful for it when I first moved in but it came to feel very small - so much so that I think it began to affect me emotionally. It was like I didn't have room to live.

Now I feel like I have that room, like I truly have my own space, like I no longer have to keep most of my life in boxes. And the effect on the emotions is wonderful.

Odd how some things can affect us so much and how little we notice until something changes.

Profound, in Dave's World,
DW

I'm Moved!

2010-06-02T23:53:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Evacuate the Dance Floor (I'M INFECTED BY THE SOUND!)
Currently reading: Nothing - Books are still in boxes

Yes, it's official! Well, it has been official since May 26th. I am now in my new digs and I am very happy. Bigger place, newer house, nicer neighbourhood... it just feels right! Yay!

That aside, not much else to report. I enjoy the Christmas-like aspect of coming home in the evenings from work to open a box and see what's hiding inside! Yes, I know, it's only been in the box for a week (or less) but still... it's like seeing all your old stuff as though it were new! At least, that's how it is for me. Yes, apparently I'm easily amused.

The flip side is that it's making it easier to tackle a job that I've wanted to tackle for years now but never seemed to find a way to do so, to wit, sorting through all my stuff and organizing it and tossing what I no longer need to hold on to. I am a pack rat by nature and do tend to hold on to things for their "sentimental value", sometimes for so long that I forget what the sentiment was! So then the item gets tossed (or recycled or donated). In any case, I am very glad to finally have a chance to do some purging. It probably won't qualify as "purging" to most of the rest of the world but I'll do as much as a pack rat's nature will allow... no, I'll even do more than a pack rat would be expected to do, 'cause that's just how I roll.

Yeah, I must be tired so time to wrap this one up.

Enjoying being moved in Dave's World,
DW

I'm Moving!

2010-05-19T21:17:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: You Know I Love You, Don't You? by Howard Jones
Current reading: The Appointment by Luigi Januzzi

Yes, it's true, I am moving. Not a big move, just changing locations here in Regina. For about the same price, I'll be in a newer home in a nicer neighbourhood with almost twice the square footage! I'll have the same roommate; it was his decision to part with this house that has precipitated the whole move in the first place! In any case, I am happy with the change and am looking forward to having more space! And my phone number, email, etc will all stay the same.

So, we are officially in the new place as of June 1st, meaning any non-work time is now being spent in packing and a mostly-futile attempt at down-sizing. My real hope is that once the move is done, I'll have more room to actually sort through a lot of the boxes of stuff I've been dragging around for years and finally get rid of a lot of it and properly "archive" the rest. I know... big hopes indeed!

In the meantime, rehearsals are proceeding nicely for The Appointment which we will get to perform on May 25th & May 27th at the Cathedral Arts Festival... right in the middle of moving week! Why is that major events (no matter how far in advance they may be planned or how unexpectedly they might arise) all seem to happen at the same time?!?!?!

Musing & packing in Dave's World,
DW

A Little News

2010-05-04T21:06:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: One Night in Bangkok by Vinyl Shakerz (great audio not ruined by some inane video)
Current reading: The Appointment by Luigi Vanuzzi

Well, so much for spring! We've had snow flurries every day for several days now and they aren't going to stop till the weekend. What little actually accumulates is usually gone by midday but still... I want warm weather! **insert pout here**

Rehearsals have started for The Appointment. I performed in this play in last fall's One Acts Cabaret and now we're re-staging it for the Cathedral Arts Festival at the end of May. It's a great little play and it will be fun to perform it again; plus my cast mates are great fun to hang out with. :)

We have started the "No Pain No Gain" contest at work. The grand prize is a all-inclusive week at some resort. To win, you earn entries in the draw by completing certain tasks or accomplishing certain goals between May 1 & Jan. 30 (or whenever the trip is slated for). There's quite a number of challenges to sign up for and depending on which ones you choose, the more entries you earn for the draw. For myself, I have chosen the following: lose 20 lbs (or more), work out 3 times a week, take a course resulting in a certification (plan on learning ASL in the fall!), miss no days of work and walk the Queen City Half-Marathon. Even if I don't win the actual draw, if I can accomplish all those things, I should feel quite proud of myself! :)

And that' a wrap! Nothing terribly witty or pithy... just some news.
Newsy, in Dave's World,
DW

Weighty Nothingness

2010-04-25T20:43:00.005-06:00

Currently listening to: Catch Me I'm Falling by Pretty Poison
Current reading: Random back issues of National Geographic

Well, so much for the kick in the blog. Bottom line is that I still don't feel that inspired to write something. Or it still just seems like too much of a chore. Don't know which.

Good news on the medical front. I had a check-up to evaluate how my recovery from an attack of Bell's Palsy is going. They rate the severity of the condition from 1 to 6, 6 being complete impairment of the facial nerve (which is where I was when it hit me on Feb. 6), leaving the left side of my face completely paralyzed / immobilized. As of this week, I am up to between a 1 and 2; almost completely recovered. YAY!

For the umpteenth time I'm going to try to start regular exercise to lose the extra 35 pounds and 8 inches off my waist that have accumulated over the past 3 - 5 years. I have free access to the fitness centre at the hotel, so long as I go during "off hours" (i.e. when it is unlikely that there will be many guests using it). So, mid-afternoon tomorrow, I can take my one-hour lunch break to go exercise in the gym. It's worth a shot I guess. Obviously if I continue to do nothing, I will only become even more of a bloated wreck, so I guess I have to at least try to do something to reverse course. I just have to remember that results won't appear overnight... this is going to be like trying to turn the Titanic... hopefully without the iceberg.

Well, there we go. I posted something. Do I rejoice in my accomplishment? Or just look at it as yet another token effort, another case of "too little, too late"?

Sheesh, I need to lighten up... and not only in my poundage. I think my title is cool though. Too bad it's not the title to a really cool entry.

Got nothing in Dave's World,
DW

An Easter Ramble

2010-04-04T19:45:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Koochy by Armand Van Helden
Current reading: Pride & Prejudice by Jon Jory

First of all, HAPPY EASTER everyone! Hope it's been a weekend of blessings and treats! :)

Why am I listening to a song called Koochy? Basically, I think the remix of Gary Numan's 80's classic Cars is awesome and the video is genius - except for the completely unnecessary 70's porno snippets. But otherwise, the synchronization of the images with the music makes for a visual onslaught that rocks, imho. The ridiculous two lines of lyrics are also so vacuous and lame that they should never have been included. The music plus the images are great on their own.

Rehearsals are going well for P&P. On Monday we load the truck with our minimal set to take to Moose Jaw, then on Tuesday we go there, set-up, perform, mix & mingle, then come back to Regina to unload the truck. Then we have to be back in Moose Jaw Wednesday morning for the adjudication. Should be fun! Really looking forward to the performance and still working on the challenge of playing three characters and making each one strong enough and individual enough to stand alone... so that people don't look at each one and say "Isn't that the same guy who played the other character?" A real test of the acting chops!

Speaking of chops, I'm glad I didn't have to grow the full set of mutton chops that our lead had to grow. My sideburns and hair are longer than they have probably been in my life but at least my face is not being taken over by an encroaching lawn! :)

And now I have nothing to say.

And y'know, that too is part of the reason that I gave up on blogging. I still feel that if I'm going to post something on the web, it should be "worthwhile" somehow. And what happens in my little life just ain't worth broadcasting... unless I have learned some deep, life-altering lesson that is just begging to be shared. Maybe I was a bit arrogant when I started this whole blogging endeavour, believing that I actually had something profound to say and also believing that there were people out there that wanted to read it. I just feel this sense of obligation to post something brilliant. Is that just an internal, self-imposed pressure? Or what? 'Cause the plain and simple reality is, I'm not that brilliant!

Oh, and as a random final note, anyone see the Amazing Race this week? I still LOVE that show and think it's SOOOOOO unfair that only American citizens can take part; I would give a vital organ (that I have two of) in order to get on that show! :) There is a similar (albeit much smaller) event in which we Canadians can participate called the Mitsubishi City Chase. Sadly, it was only ever offered once here in Regina (and I was in Newfoundland at the time). So, I would have to go to Calgary or some other larger Canadian centre to take part. My sweet friend RR and I took part in the Calgary race several years back and had a blast (I think we finished 150-ish out of 300 teams). Don't know if I'll get the chance to do it again any time soon but who knows! And if you have the opportunity to take part, DO IT! IT'S AWESOME! :)

Well, I could probably keep rambling but I don't think that's "worthwhile" so I'll call it off here.

Ramblingly in Dave's World,
DW

A Kick In The Blog

2010-03-30T22:48:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Evacuate the Dance Floor by Cascada
Current reading: Pride & Prejudice by Jon Jory

First, I LOVE that song! There are many songs to which I enjoy dancing but this one is a grab-me-by-the-scruff-of-the-neck-and-throw-me-onto-the-dance-floor song! LOOOOOOOVE IT!

Second, I have a role (well, three, technically) in the upcoming production of Pride & Prejudice. The novel is by Jane Austen and the excellent stage adaptation is by Jon Jory. I get to play the creepy (yet amusing) Mr. Collins, the jovial Sir William Lucas and the steady, well-loved Uncle Gardiner. We perform at the Provincial Drama Festival in Moose Jaw on April 6th, then have our usual run at the Regina Performing Arts Centre April 14th-17th. The play is fantastic and the cast is amazing; I love just sitting in rehearsal and watching! But I also can't wait to perform in front of an audience.

Third... a kick in the blog. Someone very dear to me had taken an intentional hiatus from blogging and has now returned to it. I very much missed their blog - their writing is wonderfully creative and funny and insightful - and so I am very glad they are back. And this, in turn, has given me the kick in the pants to once again try my hand at returning to blogging. My hiatuses have not been intentional; laziness has essentially been the reason I have spent months without adding anything to this page, after debuting it with great fanfare and grandiose plans. But somewhere deep inside there has always been the desire, the itch, to say something; so now I will attempt to re-scratch that itch and re-kindle that desire. Thanks for the kick... you know who you are! ;-)

And so, to whomever might be reading... welcome back. And to myself as well... welcome back.

Appropriately kicked in Dave's World,
DW

History is Made!

2010-02-15T10:30:00.003-06:00

GOLD CANADA GOLD!!!

For the first time EVER, a Canadian athlete has won an Olympic Gold Medal on Canadian soil! Way to go Alexandre Bilodeau!

Let the Games continue!

Feeling SO very proud to be Canadian in Dave's World!
DW

First Medal!

2010-02-14T00:46:00.002-06:00

Congrats to Jennifer Heil who had a gold-medal worthy run but was just outpaced by another skier. SILVER TO CANADA! WOO HOO! Our medal haul has begun!

DW

In Memoriam - Nodar Kumaritashvili

2010-02-13T13:47:00.003-06:00

November 25, 1988 - February 12, 2010

Such a horrifying tragedy on the eve of what should have been the finest moment to date in his young life and sporting career.

My deepest condolences to his family, friends, teammates and the people of Georgia. I pray that they sense the support of literally the entire world through this terrible time. I also pray that the Games will not be a source of pain, but of comfort, to know that all the athletes and everyone else involved, including millions of us ordinary Canadians, will do our best to honour the memory and legacy of this bright young light extinguished far too soon.

DW

Let The Games Begin!

2010-02-12T17:30:00.006-06:00

GO CANADA GO!!!

Feb. 11th - Support Iran

2010-02-10T23:45:00.002-06:00

Just a quick note here. I am not a member of Amnesty International because I do not universally agree with their causes but this is one I can get behind.

Support the people of Iran as best we can from so far away.

I think it's what Jesus would do.

Hating evil repressive satanic regimes in Dave's World,
DW

NYE 2009

2009-12-31T13:54:00.006-06:00

Currently listening to: Appetite For Destruction - Guns-n-Roses
Current reading: Pride & Prejudice - Jane Austen

Y'know, as I look at my listening & reading selections above, I have to laugh; could they be any more opposite? Guess that means I'm a person whose tastes are wide & varied... or I'm a nut.

Random music & book selections aside, I just wanted to wish everyone a

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

May 2010 be the best year yet for us all. We have the World Juniors going for a sixth straight gold medal as well as the Olympics to look forward to. There's also the hope that Canadians will finally pull the plug on Prime Minister Cling-to-Power-at-any-Cost, a.k.a Prime Minister Do-Anything-to-Cover-my-Glaring-Mistakes, a.k.a. Stephen Harper. C'mon people, even Michael Ignatieff or Jack Layton would be an improvement on this guy and the Conservatives!

And yes, I am well aware that we lost 4 soldiers and a journalist just yesterday in Afghanistan. May the families & friends be comforted and may we, as a nation, have the guts to stand up to NATO and say "We have done more than our share - time for you to pick up the slack because we are pulling out in 2011."

But I digress. My sincerest hope and prayer is that 2010 will bring love, joy, peace and blessings to one and all.

And just because I have them in stock, some more of my favourite Garfield cartoons to chuckle at - they make me laugh out loud!

Auld Lang Syne and all that jazz! May nothing in 2010 go "blooey" for you!
See you next year in Dave's World,
DW

Noël 2009

2009-12-27T16:21:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Evacuate the Dance Floor by Cascada
Current reading: Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen

Merry Christmas to one and all out there in the blogosphere. I hope Santa was good to you and more importantly, that you were surrounded by love and laughter, family and friends. Joyeux Noël! Frohliche Weihnacten! To Mon & Peter who commented on my last posting, thank you! And yes, let's get in touch soon! Other than that, not much to say at the moment. My "current listening" selection is my new favourite song - can't sit still when it comes on! And my "current reading" is prep for auditions in February as Regina Little Theatre performs a stage adaptation of Pride & Prejudice. Everyone and their dog are auditioning, so I don't hold out much hope for an actual role, but I will enjoy the process to much too miss out!

I've collected some Garfield Christmas cartoons, so here's one to hopefully make you smile.C'mon, haven't we all received a gift like this somewhere along the way? :)

Dashing through the snow in Dave's World,
DW

More Late Night Thoughts

2009-11-19T00:13:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: the whirr of my computer's fan
Current reading: Fruitcakes by Julian Wiles

Hello out there. I'm pretty sure there is no one out there. Up late tonight and thought I would post a little something. Why, when there is no one who will read it, I don't know.

In any case, I was re-reading some previous posts and was mildly amused by what I read. They certainly sound like me! I was glad to have written and posted the things that I did. I don't know why I've given up on it though. Repeatedly in older posts I mentioned "perfectionism" as the root cause but really, I'm not sure that's it. It no doubt is a contributing factor but I'm not sure if it's to blame entirely. There's also the fact that I often tend to be just plain lazy. But I know that SO often I think about posting something but back down from it when I think of how hard it will be (i.e.: I want to write something brilliant but don't feel that inspired or creative and so don't want to put in the "work" to make something brilliant happen).

Part of the problem is that the novelty of blogging wore off. One of the main reasons I took it up was that I believed it would be a way to interact with friends far & near; have conversations about random topics, some silly, some heavy, but enjoying the back-and-forth with those who would read and comment. But as time went on, it seemed to require too much energy to post something truly thought-provoking that would invite commentary. And so the posts became less frequent (and in my mind, less good) and in turn the comments diminished as well... the vicious circle was set in motion and here we are. Several months go by between postings and, as I said at the beginning, I'm pretty sure no one is reading anymore. That saddens me. That actually makes me feel like a failure (which discourages me from wanting to try at all anymore). I tried blogging and I failed... add one more "failure" to my lifelong list of them.

Yes, I know, whine, whine, whine. Well, it's how I feel at the moment; forgive my honesty. I guess my assumption is that unless a blog is read, it is pointless. Yet, there is value in simply expressing myself, even if no one else ever sees it. Who knows, maybe someone will stumble upon it someday, on the 27th page of some Google search for some obscure topic. But if no one ever does, well, perhaps I just enjoyed putting my thoughts on paper, er, into cyberspace.

If perchance you are one of those people who have stumbled upon this little page, welcome. I hope you'll take a few moments to glance around at some of the other posts and perhaps be mildly amused or horribly repulsed or have your thoughts provoked or be aroused to pity for my pathetic life or whatever. In any case, I will be glad that someone stopped by and had any kind of reaction. If you'd comment, that would make me even happier.

Well, it's late and I think I've rambled enough.

Musing, as always, in Dave's World,
DW

Late Night Thoughts

2009-08-09T22:43:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: DJjoemax on Clubber's Guide Radio
Current reading: The Abs Diet by David Zinczenko

Hello out there in the blogosphere. I guess I'm already falling behind the times, seeing as how I'm barely a sporadic blogger and most of the rest of the world has moved on to Facebook and Twitter. I have no interest in Facebook and I'm undecided about Twitter; I'm glad for the role it played during the initial post-election protests in Iran but I doubt I would feel the need to regularly post blurbs about my daily life on the internet.

Speaking of Iran, please God bring down the sick, twisted, demented, ideologically brainwashed so-called government of that country! I imagine that most of the world has been as sickened as I have been, watching the horrors unfold there. I hope the world community has the guts to stand up to these psychos and help the people there to bring freedom to their beautiful country. Ditto for North Korea & China!

As you can see by the change in my reading materials, I have a new "something shiny" to take my interest at the moment. Unfortunately I will not be able to participate in the production of Clue; the week of performances also happens to include the weekend of my nephew's wedding in Nova Scotia, so I will be travelling and not acting.
Instead I have decided I really finally need to do something about my ever-expanding waist-line. The Abs Diet has garnered serious critical praise and I have talked with a couple of people who have tried it and had good results so I decided to read the book and see if it could work for me. The conclusion? I think it could. It is relatively simple to apply and is based on some very sound health science. It is not your typical "diet" in the sense that it is not based on the idea of restricting intake, counting calories, or the other buzzwords usually associated with "diets". Instead, it is about eating appropriate portions of the healthiest foods that fuel the body and help it to naturally burn fat. I will be doing my grocery shopping in the coming week and hope to actually start sometime in the next 10 days or so. I'll let you know what results I see... maybe then I'll feel the need to twitter.

Hoping for better things in Dave's World,
DW

New Job!

2009-06-27T16:47:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Whatcha Do To My Body - Lee Aaron
Current reading: Grease & Clue

Yes! It's true! Just like the title says, I have a new job! Yay for me!

The hotel's administration department needed someone for the Guest Relations position, a combination of a receptionist and an assistant to Sales & Catering, so on a whim I applied (just wondered what it might be like to try something new within the hotel) and lo and behold they accepted me for the position! I am surprised but am also very excited and looking forward to learning new things and seeing another side of the hotel's operations. My last front desk shift will be Saturday July 11th and then I start the new position on Monday July 13th. I will miss the desk; it is the 'hub' of the hotel and my co-workers are great but we'll still be in touch quite a bit so the change shouldn't be too difficult.

In other news, I should say something about my current reading materials, Grease & Clue. Well I have a part in the Regina Summer Stage production of Grease. I get to play Vince Fontaine, the smarmy, conceited, somewhat creepy & lecherous radio DJ who hosts the dance contest at the high school. I also appear briefly as the school principal in a couple of scenes and get to sing in virtually all the songs, just not necessarily on stage. It's a lot of fun and very unique, being one of the four token adults in a cast of teens & early 20-somethings!

As for Clue, it will be the first production of Regina Little Theatre's 2009-2010 season and I'm definitely auditioning for a part! Check out all the upcoming plays; should be a fantastic season. I think I will be auditioning for 4 out of the 5 actually (seeing as how Steel Magnolias is an all-female cast, I'll opt out of that one). Clue promises to be hilarious and a lot of fun to do; I really hope I can get a part! And I just wish to add for the record that the season that just ended was fantastic as well; 5 great shows and I was fortunate enough to be a part of 2 of them.

That's about all the news for now in Dave's World. Hope to 'see' you again soon!
DW

Farrah & Michael

2009-06-25T23:28:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: So Alive by Love & Rockets
Current reading: Grease & Clue

I was debating whether I should just shut this site down, seeing as how I post so rarely and sporadically, but I finally felt moved enough to jot some thoughts down today... I hate to give up on things, so maybe I'll give blogging one more shot.

First of all, the world of entertainment lost two brilliant stars today. Farrah Fawcett was an incredibly creative and free-spirited actress who faced cancer with a fierceness and determination that I can only hope to emulate should I ever face a similar crisis. I was never a "fan" per se, but seeing her fight this battle over the last few months was moving and inspirational and I am grateful for the influence and example she has left behind.

And Michael Jackson? Well, what can I say that won't be said a zillion times over in the days and weeks ahead? An incredible talent whose life's circumstances and wounds sadly did not let his full potential be seen. What he did or did not do with young boys is not for me to judge and if he was guilty, then I certainly do not condone or excuse him. But in honour of what good was there and the greater good that might have been, I will record this little anecdote, just as my tribute to him.

Let me take you back in the day when I was about 14, before MuchMusic or MTV or even "Video Hits" (click here or here if you have no idea what "Video Hits" was). Music videos were essentially a new creation, a genre that was ground-breaking and absolutely captivating to tweens & teens discovering music. You only saw vidoes on special shows that ran once in a while. Then NBC began running a show called "Friday Night Videos". Growing up in Newfoundland, thanks to the time zone difference, the show didn't actually come on till 12:30 or 1am (so I guess it was "Saturday Morning Videos" for us). But my friends and I would stay up that late in order to see the videos and to see who would win the "video vote" contest (American Idol was NOT the first show to get viewers to pick winners!). The first video on the first episode that I ever saw was Michael Jackson's "Beat It". I was dumbfounded. I had never seen anyone dance like that before. I had never heard a song so infectious, that just made me want to leap to my feet and dance like a maniac. I was hooked. I wanted so desperately to learn how to dance like that! Well, I never did learn Michael's moves (my moonwalk is pathetic!) but he brought to brilliant life in me an ember that had been burning for years: the love of and the desire to dance, to bring music to life, to make the sounds visible in movement.. and I have never looked back. I have never had lessons and I actually find learning choreographed steps very difficult, but when I can get on a dance floor and just let the song sweep me away and let myself be the visible incarnation of the music... I rarely feel so alive! And so for bringing that joy to life in me, I do say a heartfelt "thank you" to Michael Jackson. You will be mourned & missed, for what you were and could have been.

My deepest sympathies to Farrah & Michael's family & friends & fans.

Bidding a sad farewell but remembering with a smile in Dave's World,
DW

A Little Inspiration

2009-04-17T18:14:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Sucks To Be You - Prozzak
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

In case you are not among the 13 million people who have yet to hear Susan Boyle's angelic voice and be inspired by her humility and the way she totally blew away the cynicism and negativity of untold thousands, please watch this little video. Scroll down the article (or better yet, read it!) and listen and be moved. Her story is a little similar to Paul Potts, an unassuming cell phone salesman who turned out to have an incredible operatic voice and who won the Britain's Got Talent contest. Miss Boyle is likely to repeat the feat, but even if she doesn't, she has already won the hearts of millions world-wide and deservedly so!

I had promised to give an update on how things went with Silver Dagger. Well, things went well, very well indeed! Good crowds and a run full of fun and surprises with a wonderful cast & crew; what more could an actor ask for? Opening night had a few really memorable moments; one of our leads kept calling her 'husband' by the wrong name, then as we tried to leave the stage in a black-out, we crashed into each other, then I forgot the name of a charcter I was in a scene with (but I think I covered it okay, as I was supposed to have forgotten something in the scene anyway!) and then finally I had a "prop malfunction" when the blood pack I was wearing refused to break until I squeezed it so hard it shot a stream of "blood" up into the air and all over the furniture! Good times!

All in all, I am feeling very inspired of late, what with the show's run and the confirmation for myself that I love theatre and want to do more and then Miss Boyle's performance just put icing on the cake. I hope you find something to inspire you today and every day as well!

Best wishes from a more inspired Dave's World!
DW

HAPPY EASTER

2009-04-12T13:02:00.001-06:00

The title says it all; Happy Easter to one and all.

HE IS RISEN! HE IS RISEN INDEED!

Celebrating in Dave's World,
DW

Performance Week

2009-03-30T23:18:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Superhero by Sky
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French

Well, here it is at last! We just had our tech run tonight for Silver Dagger. Tomorrow is the dress rehearsal and then a four show run! I'm really looking forward to it. Playing "Tony", the ex-con garage mechanic who aspires to be a mystery writer, has been a lot of fun. The ensemble cast & crew are also wonderful; great fun to hang out with and to work with, if this can truly be called "work"!

My only fear is that I am going to be EXHAUSTED by the week's end, as I will be up at 5am or 6am most every morning, then on the go until the play is done for the night, probably somewhere around 11pm. Yikes!

And then, on the 5th and 6th, come the auditions for the next & final play of the season, a Canadian comedy called Local Talent. There's only one male part and given that I have now participated in two shows this season, there's probably little chance that I would get cast yet again. But my love for performing will probably get me to go audition anyway, just for the fun of it!

Well, that's it for now... I'll let you know how the run goes!

Breaking a leg in Dave's World,
DW

Like a fish needs a bicycle...

2009-03-02T14:16:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Achtung Baby - U2
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French

The more I listen to Achtung Baby, the deeper my appreciation and enjoyment of it goes. I have to admit, I was one of the skeptics, when U2 released this CD as the follow up to The Joshua Tree / Rattle & Hum era of their work. It definitely sounded like "four men chopping down the joshua tree", which is how I believe Bono described it! But it gave them a whole new creative edge, added more layers to their unique sound and set the stage for everything that's come since... and No Line on the Horizon comes out tomorrow! CAN'T WAIT! Click the CD title to hear samples of the songs on it - one reviewer called it the album that Zooropa should have been. So far to me, it sounds like a mix of Zooropa & How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb... in any case, it will be awesome! :)

Well, that was unexpected... I hadn't planned on extolling U2 in this blog... digression comes early and easily, apparently. But then, I didn't really have anything in mind as a specific subject... I just wanted to get something "out there" so that anyone who does tune in knows I'm still blogging! :) So... there you have it. Nothing to say today... just letting you know I'm still in business and apparently, I'm a huge U2 fan!

Walk on, in Dave's World,
DW

A quiet day off

2009-02-21T16:57:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: P.A.S.S.I.O.N. by Rhythm Syndicate
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French & U2 By U2

It's a beautiful day here in Regina and I have it off! I got my "stat" day today for the Family Day holiday on last Monday. I'm always off on Mondays, so I got my extra day today... so I have a three-day-weekend! Woo hoo!

I signed up for a correspondence course in Interior Design and have been working at it off and on; taking a little break. I'm not used to "homework" any more, so it's taking some getting used to, especially coming up with the discipline to actually sit down and do the work! It's pretty basic so far, but interesting nonetheless. I don't know if this is the first step into a new career path, but we'll see.

I also bought a new game: Hardwood Hearts. It's the classic game of Hearts that you can play against the computer on your PC but given a whole medieval makeover. You create an avatar and play against real people from all over the world. You can chat with them and you are given a rating based on how well (or poorly) you play (in my case, VERY poorly - lol). It's quite fun and a great way to unwind. However it can be addicting, so I limit myself to a couple of games at a time... unless I really have a lot of time to sit back and do nothing! I discovered the whole thing quite by accident several years ago now, back when you could play a trial version for free; I've only now gotten around to actually purchasing the game.

Well, that's about it for now... nothing earth-shattering today, just a little update on a quiet day off.

Relaxing in Dave's World,
DW

Easily distracted

2009-02-18T19:13:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: The Sound of San Francisco - Global Deejays
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French & U2 By U2

I just thought I'd share a little incident that happened on Sunday past. I was responsible for the "powerpoint" slides during the church service. I had the enormous task of advancing or reversing the slides as needed throughout the songs & service. Well, everything was going fine until the most sensitive part of the church service: the moments of profound reflection & response following the sermon.

All the songs were in one file whereas all the slides associated with the sermon were in a different file, meaning I would have to switch between files. Unfortunately, the LCD projector doesn't have an option to black-out the screen and it is situated on the opposite side of the building from the computer. Thus, my switching from one file to the other would be plainly visible on the big screen. That was no big deal, in and of itself, as I had switched between the two at the beginning of the sermon with no difficulty. However at this most sensitive moment, when I had to switch back to the songs, something went wrong. At first, I couldn't get back to the songs file and then when I finally did I couldn't get the file to move to the slide I wanted; it just kept flashing up the first slide over and over again... and my futile attempts to get it to stop were broadcast on the large screen to the whole congregation as it flashed and flickered madly.

Needless to say, people did their best to focus on what the preacher was saying and to ignore the 10 foot x 10 foot flashing images on the screen at the front, but I'm sure it was horrendously distracting for most, especially when the music began to play and no words to sing were on that screen. I felt about 2 inches tall and was ready to pitch the computer through the wall. Of all moments for a giant flashing distraction to happen, it had to be this one, right at that most sensitive part of the service.

Now some will see in this an attack of the enemy. He wanted to disrupt whatever good spiritual work was happening and this was possibly an effective way to do it. I don't dispute that possibility. My question is this: are we as people generally (and Christians specifically) that easily distracted from "good spiritual work"? Do we not have the discipline (or shouldn't we have the discipline) to tune out distractions and keep focussed on what God is saying or doing in a sensitive moment? I'm hoping many (if not most) people there on Sunday morning were able to do just that. But it bothers me that possibly some "good spiritual work" was derailed through a combination of devilry, tech glitches and easily distracted people. The first two are out of our control so it is only the last one we can work on and hone. I hope we all develop it and pass it on to the next generations; distractibility will only increase as our tech-driven society permeates ever more deeply into individual lives and the church body as a whole.

Just some thoughts I've been pondering this week... do share yours.

Distractedly yours in Dave's Wo...

How about like this?

2009-02-17T20:22:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Be Near Me - ABC
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French & U2 By U2

Check out the ABC video for Be Near Me. So typically 80's, so corny, yet... so great! :) I've always loved this song - it's smooth, cool, and yet so very danceable as well.

And yes, I'm reading U2 By U2 which I started, oh, last year sometime and just never got all the way through! I'm up to the late 90's, about the time they had released the CD Pop. It's been absolutely fascinating, reading their takes on the songs and how they reflect what was going on in their personal lives and thoughts at the time.

Anyhoo, on to today's blog topic... yesterday (see post below this one) I asked if anyone felt like the Garfield cartoon I had posted. Today, I ask if you ever feel... like a hopeless case? I am so very frustrated right now with my weight, of all things. Most of my life I was the typical guy who could eat anything and never gain an ounce. However over the past 3-5 years, and especially through my bout with depression, I have gained some serious weight... like 30-35 pounds more than what I should be. I know the solution: reduce my intake, increase my activity level.

But can I do either? No.

I can't find the motivation and on those days when I do, I'm often feeling too tired to bother to go to a gym. There's really nothing I can do around the house and I'm not dedicated enough to go outdoors in a Saskatchewan winter to exercise! And so, day after day, I see myself in mirrors and I hate what I see... at least as far as my "shape" goes. And my clothes keep shrinking. I'm really beginning to feel self-conscious and actually think of myself as being "fat". But again... can I get myself going to try to turn the tables on this? No. And I don't know why.

Maybe I'm just lazy. Maybe I'm just too exhausted. Maybe I really don't care. Maybe I just need someone to take this on with me. I really don't know; probably some combination of them all. In any case, I just felt the need to whine and unburden myself for a few moments. I know I really have to do something, I just am not sure where and how to begin. Any ideas out there????

Lethargically in Dave's World,
DW

Ever feel like this?

2009-02-16T12:41:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Put On Your Boots - U2's newest single!
Current reading: Silver Dagger by David French

Found this Garfield cartoon and thought it was hilarious... and then realized it kinda sums up how I've been feeling for an unknown-yet-lengthy stretch of time now.

Yeah, that's pretty much been me for quite some time now... just not really willing or wanting to bother getting up to respond to life's input. Not that I've been depressed or anything, just not really engaging in things beyond what is necessary. I couldn't really put a finger on it but this cartoon just seems to sum it up perfectly! So I thought I would share it with anyone who still cares (i.e. who actually bothers to check this blog anymore).

In other news, I am SOOO excited that U2 is releasing a new album! Initial reviews are great and the new song and video are fantastic (IMHO - click the song title above to see/hear it). The CD will be added to my collection once it's officially released!

And I did get a part in the next RLT production Silver Dagger. I get to play an ex-con garage mechanic who aspires to be a mystery writer (how's that for a character and a stretch for me?). The play is itself a mystery and takes some great twists and turns and is going to be a lot of fun to do! The production runs April 1-4. Oh, and it's a cool little twist that the playwright is actually a fellow Newfoundlander!

Well, that's about it for the moment... check back to see if I actually get off my back and answer the phone.

Unimportantly, from Dave's World,
DW

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2008-12-31T20:25:00.001-06:00

And once again, the title says it all...

Here's hoping that 2009 is the best year ever for all of us! In the words of "Kool and the Gang"....

"Ceeeeelebrate good times! Come on!"

See you next year in Dave's World!
DW

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

2008-12-25T00:29:00.003-06:00

The title says it all....

To all my loved ones, my family & friends, and to any and all that might stumble upon this little blog from time to time, I wish you a Merry Christmas and a joy-filled 2009 overflowing with blessings.

Thrilled that it's Christmas in Dave's World,
DW

Disgusted, but one happy piece of news

2008-12-04T16:52:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Toca's Miracle 2008 - Fragma (Vandalism Remix) on DJ Louis Louis' website
Current reading: Ethan Claymore by Norm Foster

I just have to say that I am completely disgusted with the behaviour of Prime Minister Stephen Harper over the past week or so. He has finally revealed his true colours, that of a man desperate to rule at any cost. When he had the chance to show true leadership character, he instead resorted to pettiness and conniving. And now that the opposition parties have acted in a manner appropriate to our system of government in Canada, he has stooped even lower in his opportunism. This man should not be Prime Minister. His claim that Canadians voted for him and that decision should be respected is ludicrous in the extreme. Given the low voter turnout and the fact that he still only received a minority government indicates very clearly that he in fact has the support of maybe 25% - 35% of the population, at best.

Bottom line? I am disgusted and will continue to utter the battle cry "ANYTHING BUT CONSERVATIVE!"

On a much happier note, the opening night of Ethan Claymore was last night and was a rousing success. We had a few missteps and miscues, but nothing too serious and certainly nothing that detracted from the enjoyment of the night by one and all. I'm looking forward to the remaining performances... but not to the show ending!

With mixed emotions here in Dave's World,
DW

Oh the drama!

2008-11-12T22:15:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Le Beat de Montréal with Jeff Paquet on CKOI-FM
Current reading: Ethan Claymore by Norm Foster

I just got home from rehearsal for Ethan Claymore and I'm not quite ready to hit the sack just yet. Rehearsals have been going very well and I am so enjoying working with the cast and our fabulous (IMHO) director & crew. It just made me think for a minute about my love of theatre and "performing" in general.

As a kid, I had a super-active imagination. With my friends, we would invent games of "war" or "superheroes" that literally took days to play out the storylines that we would create. And even when I played imagination games on my own, I was often conscious of "performing" them, as though there was a camera recording what I was doing. I was too shy and lacked self-confidence to do much in front of a real audience though; occasionally at church and even less occasionally with something at school, I would "perform" but almost always in a support or background role. I longed to be able to get out in front and do the "big role" but again, totally lacked the courage and confidence to do so.

After my first year of university, my shell finally began to break and I began to slowly become comfortable with "performing" in front of people. I took more active roles more frequently and even began singing publicly. When I got to Training College with the Salvation Army, my on-stage and singing involvement grew in leaps and bounds. Then finally I arrived in Yorkton, SK and decided to take the big plunge and audition for a "real show." The rest is history!

The love for performing has always been there. I don't know why. I guess it is just a part of who I am - though I refuse to think of myself as a "drama queen!" I just get such a rush from being on stage! It's not that I think I am some great actor or singer... I just love it! Bringing a character, a story, a song, to life so that other people are touched by it in some way (they laugh, they cry, they pause to think, whatever); that is an incomparable feeling for me; it is pure joy. I hope one day to be able to feel worthy to call myself "an actor". Till then, I'll keep trying and working hard and taking direction and growing as much as I can in this craft.

In any and every "bio" that I have to write for a show's program, I try to always include a "thank you" to the many, many people through my life who encouraged me to try and to pursue this wonderful art. I want to say again, to so many of you, the deepest "thank you from the bottom of my heart" that I can. Thank you for helping me to discover one of the greatest joys in my life.

And now, with a flourish, exit stage right in Dave's World,
DW

Lest We Forget

2008-11-11T16:50:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: MC Mario's Party Mix on DJ Louis Louis' website
Current reading: Ethan Claymore by Norm Foster

I just wanted to take a few moments to pause and reflect on Remembrance Day.

This day has always moved me deeply and I am always reduced to tears watching the coverage of the ceremonies as well as the TV specials that look back at the wars. This year, I was deeply touched by the special tribute paid by showing the names of all the soldiers lost on the sides of various buildings across the country. The Legislature here in Regina was one of the sites chosen. Standing there in the chilly dark, watching as slowly and solemnly name after name appeared and dissolved on the screen, feeling the silence around me as many people came and went yet no one disturbed the quiet; it made for a powerful and heart-touching memorial. So many lives lost, so many dreams and hopes shattered and cut short needlessly.

Maybe I love living too much; such loss of life just rips the heart out of me. It angers, even enrages me, that people should have to die like that. But I am so thankful, more than words can express, that so many men and women endured the unspeakable horrors of warfare (and continue to do so) to defend our country. I want to especially honour my maternal grandfather who served in World War I, my Uncle Bill & Uncle Rene who served in World War II, my Uncle Don who served in the Korean War and my brother Wayne who now serves in the military.

I hope and pray that Remembrance Day will remain a hugely important part of Canadian life and mindset. We dare not forget, we who owe so much to the soldiers of the past and present.

Remembering in Dave's World,
DW

Congratulations President-Elect Obama

2008-11-05T13:17:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Galaxie's Souvenirs channel, a mix of French & English hits from the 70's to the 90's
Current reading: Ethan Claymore by Norm Foster

Well, the title really says it all. What can I say about this historic event that hasn't already been said? The first African-American president. Wow. I watched his acceptance speech and shed a few tears, thankful that I got to be around for a moment as significant as this.

I certainly wish him well as he shoulders the incredible burden of leadership of the U.S. There are so many expectations of him - unrealistically so - that I hope he is given the time and space to do what needs to be done, instead of being expected to magically make everything right overnight.

If only Canada could have voted with the good sense that the Americans did this time around. Here's hoping that Quebeckers will make the right choice too, come December 8th (i.e.: ANYTHING but the Parti Québecois!).

Celebrating the right choice and a truly historic moment in time here in Dave's World,
DW

Oh, Canada!

2008-10-14T22:14:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Disturbia - Rihanna (on DJ Louis Louis' website)
Current reading: The Adventure of the Clouded Crystal & Ethan Claymore

The title of this blog should be read as if you are disappointed in a child and you are smacking your forehead in disbelief as you confront that child.

The election results are in and somehow a blatant promise-breaker who waged a campaign full of fear-mongering and devoid of real substance or vision is still the Prime Minister. Oh, Canada. What were you thinking? Then again, you weren't, were you? Sadly it seems that once again, voter apathy was high and so once again we have a government that does not accurately reflect the electorate.

Yes, I know that Mr. Dion's campaign was lacklustre. Mr. Layton's was quite good and should have resulted in more seats for the NDP, but again, too many Canadians either gave into the fear-mongering or simply stayed home. Ms. May's campaign was entertaining and she certainly showed spunk, but the Greens are too new to Canadians to yet be serious contenders. As for the Bloc, they were all but written off when the writ was dropped; we have Stephen Harper to thank for the resurgence of the separatist party in our country, handing Mr. Duceppe seats on a silver platter - his was the easiest campaign of all. Needing only to campaign in one province and preaching to the choir for the most part, Duceppe could have sleep-walked through this one and still gotten 50 seats. Thank you, Mr. Harper - one more colossal gaffe to add to your collection and only by some incomprehensible twist of providence do you hold on to your position.

If I sound bitter, I apologize. It's not bitterness, it is anger. Anger at the country for being so apathetic as to allow the Conservative Party another chance at governance and also angry at the other parties for failing to provide a truly viable alternative. There's also some fear mixed in there as well. The Conservatives and their wanna-be-Republican policies scare me, plain and simple. The campaign of fear the Conservatives ran has worked; I'm scared. I think we all should be.

Perhaps Rick Mercer said it best in tonight's election coverage. No party leader has achieved their desired goal and the only one among them whose job is truly secure is the leader of the separatists... and it only cost us $300 million dollars. Yup, we should be scared.

Broken-hearted for Canada in Dave's World,
DW

Happy Birthday to me!

2008-10-09T16:54:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Counting Down the Days - Sunfreakz featuring Andrea Britton
Current reading: The Adventure of the Clouded Crystal & Ethan Claymore

Yes, it's true, today is my b-day. And in the minds of many, it's a big one - the big 4-0. Personally, it doesn't feel any different than did 30 or 20... but I guess it's a milestone to think I've been blessed to enjoy 4 decades of life. One cool thing was that my co-workers were unanimous in their disbelief that I was indeed forty. One actually wanted to see my driver's licence as proof! They all figured I was in my early thirties and in a couple of cases, that I was turning 30! I don't know how or why, but thank You Lord for that fun little gift! :-) And I also want to say thank you to my Mom for enduring pregnancy and labour... and 40 years of me!

A couple of interesting little pieces of trivia regarding my birthday. I share this birth date with John Lennon and the number one song on the Billboard charts on the day I was born was Hey Jude, a song in which John, of course, played a big part. Neat, huh? Okay, well, I think it's neat.

So, here I am, about to embark on my 5th decade. What a journey it's been and I hope it won't end for a long, long time to come. But whatever is in store, I'll leave it in bigger hands than mine, and I'll do my best to make the most of what I am given... as Gandalf the Grey would advise (see quote at top of the blog page).

To all my wonderful, amazing, super-awesome, wicked cool, fantabulous family & friends, both near and far, thank you for being a part of my life and for putting up with me for varying portions of these 40 years. I hope we'll share many, many more.

Feelin' forty and fine in Dave's World,
DW

Re-visiting old joys

2008-10-06T16:20:00.004-06:00

Currently listening to: Back to Titanic
Current reading: Scripts of The Adventure of the Clouded Crystal and Ethan Claymore

I had a few quiet moments to spare and thought I would re-visit my long neglected blog. I still don't understand why despite the fact I enjoy blogging, I never seem to make the time to do it more often. I thought too about changing up the look of the page, but of all the templates available, I still like this "lighthouse" one the best. The best I could come up with for the moment was to use a different font that I usually do. Yay for creativity.

So, how is everyone out there who used to stop by and read my blog? I guess the real joy of a blog is simply having this type of forum to do some musing, with the occasional added bonus that someone out there may read it and comment on it. My initial aspirations for me & my blogging were far too lofty and it is still only slowing sinking in that I need to be more realistic in my expectations. I have had a zillion blogs run through my head over the past several months but as I said, I simply have not made the time to sit down and type them out. So, I hope some of you are still 'out there' and will still stop by from time to time but even if you don't, maybe I'll just try to use this as a creative outlet once in a while.

If you're curious as to why I'm reading what I'm reading (see above), it's very simple; I have a part in both of the above-named plays. Clouded Crystal is about the friendship of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (the creator of Sherlock Holmes) and Harry Houdini, a friendship that slowly died out due to their differences over Doyle's adamant belief in "spiritualism". The play is a one-act and will be performed Oct. 24 & 25 as well as Nov. 8. I get to play Doyle. Ethan Claymore is a very sweet Christmas play written by Canadian playwright Norm Foster. He also wrote Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun which I had the privilege to act in on two different occasions. In Ethan, the title character has spent five years mourning the loss of his wife and now, just a few days before Christmas, his overbearing-yet-well-meaning neighbour and the ghost of his estranged brother arrive on the scene to get Ethan living again. The play will run December 3 to 6. I get to play Ethan.

Well, that's enough for now, but hopefully I will return before long to post again. I was at Shopper's Drug Mart earlier today and paused for a few minutes to peruse a book of Rick Mercer's rants (hilarious & insightful!). Maybe that's what stirred my innate desire to blog/rant today and might breathe new life into this little venture. We'll see.

In any case, my best wishes to one and all out there, just because I love you and want the best for you. Take care out there... and see you soon here in Dave's World.
DW

Tale as old as time...

2008-07-23T17:10:00.002-06:00

Currently listening to: Higher State of Consciousness by Josh Wink (HATE the video - LOVE the song)
Current reading: Attack of the Deranged Mutant Killer Monster Snow Goons: A Calvin & Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson

It's over.

Regina Summer Stage mounted Disney's "Beauty and the Beast". For the past 3 months, my non-work life has been dominated by rehearsals and performances... and now it's all done.

And it was SO worth it. We had 8 great shows (including 5 sell-outs!) and I had so much fun being in the show and getting to know some great new friends, as well as making some brand new friends. I played Monsieur D'arque (pronounced "Dark"), who is the head of the lunatic asylum (I know, I know, type-casting!). I also got to be an egg-seller in a couple of crowd scenes, as well as a large carpet (or maybe it was a tapestry) in Be Our Guest. I also got to help out the stage crew with some scene changes and provided one of the wolf howls during the wolf scenes. It was a great group to work with and a great production to be a part of.

Still, I have to say that I am VERY happy to have my evenings free again; to have a life outside of work again. I had become extremely tired by the time the performance run ended and it's great to have the time to really do nothing!

On totally unrelated notes, I have finally started riding my bike to work - I LOVE IT! And we had some wicked t'storms here the past 2 days & nights - ALSO LOVED IT! :)

And that's about it for now... just a little update on Dave's tale in Dave's World,
DW

Er, Um, Hello?

2008-07-13T23:02:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Counting Down the Days by Sunfreakz featuring Andrea Britton
Current reading: Attack of the Deranged Killer Muntant Monster Snow Goons: A Calvin & Hobbes Collection by Bill Watterson

I'm not sure what to put here at the moment. I originally began blogging with the hope of creating some kind of interactive conversation club; a place where I could toss out some thoughts and get some feedback and perhaps through the "dialogue", I (or someone else) might be enlightened in some small way.

I think I set my hopes too high.

I have missed the interaction and I miss using this format as a creative outlet. I have talked in previous entries about changing my blogging philosophy; I guess I really haven't yet... but I'm hoping to.

I doubt that there's anyone "out there" who even looks at this web page anymore, given that it's been soooooooo long since I've posted anything. But whether I have a readership or not, I think I may resume blogging anyway. I guess it's just the performer in me that hopes there might be an audience out there somewhere.

That's all... nothing earth-shattering (not that there ever has been). Just a little 'hello' from Dave's World.
DW

It's been a long time since I blogged & rolled

2008-03-30T19:19:00.003-06:00

Currently listening to: Love Life - Charlie Peacock
Current reading: Nothing at the moment

Apologies to Led Zeppelin, but I thought it was a cute title for this entry, especially since I am blogging on the road once again! Yes! RR & I are in Meadow Lake, SK visiting our favourite family for the weekend. We arrived Friday night and will depart Monday morning. It's been SO much fun, hanging out, playing Blurt and indulging in our favourite addictive game, Settlers of Catan! As a bonus, RR got to do a presentation on her trip to Bangladesh last year and I got to do a little skit and preach the morning sermon.

Since last I blogged, so much has happened (yet again)... it's not that I haven't thought OFTEN about blogging, I just have once again succumbed to the notion that if it's not "brilliant", there's no point in me posting it. *Sigh* Will I never learn?

There is one very important event that transpired I need to let everyone know about....

I SAW RIVERDANCE!!!!! LIVE!!!!!! TWICE!!!!!

I am STILL dancing on the inside!!!!!!!!

Enjoying a wonderful weekend in Dave's World,
DW

Pre-Bedtime Thoughts

2008-02-01T00:31:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: A myriad of random favourite tunes on my Zen!
Current reading: Nothing at present

*SIGH*

So frustrating.

As I was walking home from work tonight, I had a brilliant blog entry composed in my head. Can I remember it now that I am sitting in front of the computer? Of course not. One more thing to make ya go AAHHH! :)

So, just a coupla random thoughts before I crash this evening. First off, I want to say how grateful I am for the balmy, spring-like temperature this evening; it was a mere -10 (-19 with windchill). I half expected to see flowers about to bloom and trees in fresh bud! After waking up to -52C (including windchill) a few mornings ago, today felt like a change of season!

Second, a far-from-new-thought, a controversial thought, but one that I feel the need to express nonetheless. Why is it that one needs a licence to own a dog, possess a firearm, get married, practice any one of a whole host of professions... and yet for the most important and single greatest responsibility in our society - parenting - ANYONE with the necessary physical capabilities (or sufficient funds) can be a parent? I know it would be nigh impossible to actually come up with a system that would be acceptable to society to evaluate people's parenting capabilities and then either permit or deny them the "right" to have children.

But is having children a "right"? It is most definitely a responsibility, but in the light of the recent tragedy here in Saskatchewan (and far too many other similar tragedies in our country over the years) as well as the increasing violence in schools, it would seem that far too many parents are falling short with this responsibility. I don't say that to condemn, only to point out a reality in our society. So is "having children" a right? Or a responsibility to society that requires people have a certain level of competence in order to carry it out effectively? Any thoughts?

And on that note, I'm off to bed - just had to get that off my chest first! :)

Catch ya later in Dave's World!
DW

Things That Make Ya Go AAAAAAHHHHHH!

2008-01-31T00:43:00.001-06:00

Currently listening to: Nothing
Current reading: Nothing

I'll tell you up front - this is not a happy posting. I just needed to vent.

First, my heart is broken (as I'm sure are many others) to hear of the deaths of the two little girls on a reserve here in Saskatchewan (if you need the story, click here). What a horrendous, indescribable tragedy. I just pray those little girls are at peace, and that those left behind also are able to find peace, after the grieving. I guess what angers me most is the fact that alcohol seems to be a significant contributing factor. So many of our First Nations people are broken; they need healing, individually and as a people. When will we wake up and finally address these needs head-on?

Second, I am outraged to hear that a church is planning to protest at Heath Ledger's memorial service because he played the role of a gay cowboy in the movie Brokeback Mountain. I totally understand the church disapproving of the role and the movie. But to protest it in the midst of this tragedy? How in the world is that even remotely a Christ-like thing to do? How dare these people even refer to themselves as "Christians" and act like this? They give real Christians a bad name and the real Jesus a black eye. This kind of stupidity is also the height of cruelty and makes a mockery of everything Jesus ever taught, stood for and ultimately died for. I hope the rest of the world can see that but I suspect that all the world will see is the media coverage of those "religious nuts" and the negative stereotype of Christians will be reinforced.

Yeah, there are things that just make me freakin' angry... things that make ya go AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dealing with some angry feelings in Dave's World... but please come back, I won't always be this way!
DW

Chugging Along

2008-01-20T17:27:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: More Than This from the CD Up by Peter Gabriel
Current reading: Nothing at present

Just a little update on some things from the last posting:

I had my first Interior Design class. It was interesting and definitely has me wanting more! We essentially just covered basic terminology and listened as the instructor related some of her experiences and showed us some of her portfolio pix. Yeah, I was jealous ;-) I definitely want to learn more and I'm already chomping at the bit to get into actually "designing". One step at a time... just... so... IMPATIENT! :-)

I did a little 2-minute sketch at church this morning to wish the congregation a happy second anniversary of their amalgamation. It was short, silly, fun and yet hopefully made an appropriate point. What did I do? Think "Canadian Idol" meets the "Brady Bunch"... teaser enough for you? :-) And it looks like performing the one-act play in May is starting to come together - just hafta start lining up rehearsal times!

I also had my first van driving experience this morning. Other than getting an incorrect address and having to make an extra, it was good. I think I'll enjoy taking a turn at it. However, getting up early this morning was a challenge!! (shudders of horror)

And oh yeah, the gym thing... um, yeah, well.... (unintelligible muttering)

Is everyone aware how COLD it's been here lately?? I think the temperature a couple of nights ago was in the "minus freakin' ridiculous" range... but 'tis January on the prairies - it's no surprise. At least it's brilliantly, blindingly sunny - I'll take the sunshine happily. I've learned in life that sunlight definitely has a profound and positive influence on me. While I personally believe the concept of reincarnation is hogwash, if it were true, I was once an Inca sun-worshipper.

What's that? The gym thing? Oh yeah, well, you know how it is, um... (more unintelligible mutterings)

Hey! How about that presidential circus in the U.S.? No, not the current administration, I mean all those primaries and the neck-and-neck races for both parties - hasn't happened for a while! As I've said before, I'm an Obama supporter, but if Hillary wins, I hope she has the sense to name Obama as her running mate. I think that ticket would be unbeatable.

Well, that's all for now... as the title said, just chugging along in Dave's World!
DW

New Year, New... Things

2008-01-14T16:55:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Heart In Motion - Amy Grant
Current reading: Nothing at present

Well, aside from a renewed effort to blog more frequently, a couple of other new items on the horizon.

First, tonight I will be going to my first class in an "Introduction to Interior Design" course! It's something I've long had an interest in (I've always been hooked on "Trading Spaces" and other such design shows), and serendipitously the course is offered once a week on Monday nights - one of only two nights of the week I have free! How cool is that? I am very much looking forward to it but in true Dave fashion, I am not setting any high hopes for it :-)

Secondly, in the coming days I will be returning to "the gym". I abandoned regular exercise through the month of December as my schedule got juggled around somewhat and with all the Christmas treats to enjoy... let's just say any thoughts of "exercising and eating healthy" went out the window. :-) So, time to get back on the wagon!

Thirdly, I may get some acting action in the coming weeks and months! This coming Sunday is the 2nd anniversary of the amalgamation of two Regina Salvation Army churches into one, the "Haven of Hope" where I attend. So, I have been asked to find a sketch that could be used to open the service; something along the lines of anniversary, birthday, celebration, that kind of thing. Plus, the one-act play I was in back in November (Joining the Club) may get revived for Regina's Cathedral Arts Festival in May! I AM EXCITED! :-) I SO miss being more involved in theatre, so any opportunities that come along are welcomed with open arms! :-)

Fourth, still connected with the church, they have a new van and will be starting a "pick-up" service for people who need rides to church Sunday morning. I've decided that I will volunteer to be an occasional driver. It means getting up extra early (shudders of horror) but it's worth it, expecially as it will probably only be once in a while.

Fifth and final, Happy (Orthodox) New Year everyone! It's today! :-D

Well, that's about it for now - nothing earth-shattering, just some good news :-) Hope your world has good news to share as well!

Renewing in Dave's World,
DW

The Curse of Perfectionism

2008-01-09T12:43:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: An Emotion Away - Alanis Morissette (when she was still just "Alanis")
Current reading: CBC.ca

Well, well, well... where do I begin? I said in my last post that "1.5 geologic ages" has passed since the prior posting. I think I have missed at least 10 such ages now!

So, to catch up quickly, MERRY CHRISTMAS & HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all, VERY belated though it is. My hope and prayer for everyone is that 2008 will be filled with joy and blessings beyond number.

Currently listening to: Sandstorm - Darude

And now to the real reason for this posting. I really do enjoy blogging, believe it or not! I do!! I really, really do!!! My problem is (as the title indicates) my built-in perfectionsit streak. I have wanted to post countless times over the past several months, but every time, I felt I had nothing worthwhile to say or I didn't have a creative enough way to say it. I don't know why I feel I have write epistolary masterpieces, as though I had a readership of thousands like some New York Times columnist... I just do.

I've mentioned this in a previous posting as well - this unspoken yet intrinsic need to do everything "perfectly". The old saying that I keep hearing is "Anything worth doing is worth doing well" or alternatively, "If you're going to do something, do it right".

Currently listening to: Hungry Like The Wolf - Duran Duran

The question is therefore, how do I quantify "well" or "right"? And then the thought comes "Good grief, lighten up! It's a BLOG! This isn't Barack Obama's acceptance speech!" (Just for the record, if I were in the States right now, I would be voting for Obama!) So, it really is a silly notion to be enslaved to and limited by (although those two dangling participles really bug me). If blogging is something that I truly enjoy, then I should "just do it!" Right?

Currently listening to: Sunday Morning After - Amanda Marshall

Right.

So... here's my version of a new year's resolution. I will write what comes to mind, when it comes to mind (or as soon thereafter as possible) and not worry significantly about the fact that it might be the best blog on the internet. I guess really I'm just hoping that there are still some people out there who would bother to check and read it! Those who know me know that I am an actor/performer at heart and so having an audience - whether I'm on stage or writing - is of GREAT importance to me! :)

And if you'r wondering why my "currently listening" keeps changing... I got a Zen mp3 player for Christmas! (Thanks RR! Mwah!) And so bit by bit, I've been loading songs onto it. Part of that process is putting those songs on the 'puter, so now I'm listening to a random shuffle of my favourites while typing! Am I spoiled or what??? :)

Currently listening to: Let's Get Lost - Amanda Marshall

Well, on that note, I'd best get started with my day. I hope you'll keep coming back to Dave's World. Feel free to hold me accountable if suddenly long blogless stretches re-appear! And please comment as much as you can - I think in my very first posting ever I said that one of the main reasons for my blogging was to foster interaction and discussion - so that's where you come into the picture, dear reader! :)

Take care out there! From a rejuvenating Dave's World,
DW

Blogging on the Road!

2007-11-12T15:57:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: The sounds of a happy household
Current reading: Nothing at present

Well, this is a first for DW. I'm enjoying a long-overdue visit with some dear friends all the way up here in Meadow Lake, SK! Five hours drive north of Regina. Very pretty country up here; actually reminds me of Newfoundland a little - undulating, forest-covered hills, a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees and the first real snowfall having covered everything. The drive up with my special someone was great fun too - singing along with the radio & CD's and stopping to climb 152 steps (memo to self: DO MORE CARDIO!) to see a lighthouse on a hill (yes, a lighthouse on the prairies!) overlooking a little cottage village and its lake.

The main thing is - of course - seeing people I love and haven't had the chance to see and laugh and hang-out with for so long! It's just a quick, overnight trip, but it is SO worth it. I just hope we can do it again before too long. And through the miracle of the internet, I can blog from hundreds of miles from home! Okay, maybe it's not so spectacular really, but I think it's cool!! So there!

Oh, and given that 1.5 geological ages have gone by since last I blogged:

Happy Birthday to me!
Happy Halloween!
Great One-Act play performances!
Thank you to our veterans!
And congrats to Bakes on buying a house! I'd like blue and/or orange in the guest room, please! ;-)

Well, signing off from scenic Meadow Lake and a growing Dave's World,
DW

Be there

2007-09-24T21:44:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Assorted videos on MuchMoreRetro
Current reading: Joining the Club by David Tristram

There's no denying it: autumn has arrived.

Today was about as stereotypical a fall day as one could ever get. The sky was morose; a sad, unbroken mix of concrete grey and dirty white, streaked with black and ashen lines of denuded tree branches. The grass, though still green, looked defeated rather than summer-time vibrant. And of course, everywhere there were leaves. Most trees here in Regina seem to turn yellow in fall; other colours are distinct minorities. The original bright gold of the initial change has, however, dried into a sickly mustard colour, burying lawns, choking gutters, concealing sidewalks, scratching and chattering as they spread, driven by the cold, heartless wind.

And I decided to take my roommate's dog for a walk?

The poor guy was bouncing around the house with energy to burn, so I figured he could use the exercise... not to mention me too. If you have seen the movie Over the Hedge, think of the dog that appears briefly in that film ("PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY! PLAY!"). That's what this dog is like; boundless energy and wanting only and always to play. So we're walking along the street and I'm thinking how dismal a day it is, observing the conditions as I have described them above. Yet I can't help but notice how excited the dog is to be outdoors. "New scent! Play?! Oh, another new scent! Another one! Whoa, strange noise, scared me.. Play!" I laughed; he was so cute to watch.

Then a story I had read years ago (in a Reader's Digest, I think) came back to me. I don't clearly recall the details; I think the story involved a business man who had a chance encounter with an elderly lady who was smartly dressed, except for the pair of well-worn sneakers on her feet. I think the business man thought that perhaps this woman had become forgetful; she'd gotten dressed up and then had unintentionally put sneakers on with her nice outfit. Somehow circumstances cause them to strike up a conversation during which he discovers that this "little old lady" is definitely in full control of her faculties and wears these sneakers for a reason. Again, I'm sketchy on her line of reasoning, but I clearly recall her bottom line: "Wherever you are, be there. That's the secret to life." Somehow, wearing the sneakers reminded her to "be there", wherever she was. This struck the harried businessman and changed his life - as always happens in those Reader's Digest feel-good stories.

Well, that "little old lady"'s line hit me hard then, and has hit me off-and-on over the years since I read it. But it came back particularly strongly today while walking the dog. It suddenly dawned on me that instead of bemoaning the end of my beloved summer, why not see the beauty that is autumn around me? Why not discover and play, play, play? If I'm in the middle of the fall, why not "be there" rather than wishing I could be somewhere else?

The whole walk changed.

I saw beauty in so many ways and places. I had fun watching the dog poke around and run and romp and chase me around... or was it me chasing him? Birds sang & flew, the wind was bracing, invigorating, instead of just cold and mournful. A patch of faded flowers stood with heads bowed in prayer instead of half-dead due to frost. There were so many things that just seemed to jump out to me, just because I was willing to "be there" and not "bemoan there".

I think that lady was on to something. Wherever you are, be there. If it's autumn, enjoy autumn, don't pine for summer. If you're at the beach, walk shoeless in the sand, don't complain about the heat. If you're at work, be there with your colleagues and clients, instead of checked out before the shift is five minutes old. If you're with friends or family, be there with them, give them your full attention instead of staying wrapped up in one's own world. If you're sad, grieve and cry instead of holding it in. If something strikes you funny, laugh out loud, even till your sides hurt. And for me, if I'm on stage, be there on stage, be the character, sense the presence of the audience. You get my drift? I know that I (and many people I know as well) are so busy that we spend so much time & energy focussed on the "next task" that we miss being anywhere! I don't have a lot of regrets in life, but "missing the moment" is (I believe) the source of many possible regrets.... regrets I don't want to have!

Wherever you are, BE there. Wherever you are, be it a place or a moment, be THERE and nowhere else. Be immersed in the moment so that you experience it in all its fullness, even if it's something sad - life is full of highs and lows; live them both and I think you'll come through them stronger and remember them longer.

Wherever you are, be there. I'm trying! Where are you? In Dave's World? :-)
DW

My mind boggles...

2007-09-18T12:25:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: The Edge of Heaven - Wham!
Current reading: Joining the Club - David Tristram

I love CBC.ca and the often insightful commentaries by veteran journalists. Today I read this article by Don Murray. Go read it! In it, he outlines how billions of American dollars were sent by the planeload to Iraq and how much of it has vanished without ever improving the lives of Iraqis. Truth is stranger than fiction.

This article (plus the one I recommended on Friday by Neil MacDonald) bring a thought to mind for me: how has President Bush avoided impeachment thus far? Think about it with me for a moment. When they attempted to impeach Bill Clinton, the charges were perjury and obsrtuction of justice with respect to investigations over his sexual indiscretions with Monica Lewinsky and Paula Jones. I recall the brouhaha and the cries for Clinton's resignation as being unfit to lead the nation and a poor example of a president and so on. Those pressing the charges and leading the impeachment push were virulent.

Compare that to what Bush has done. It is now a known fact that the whole invasion of Iraq was based on lies; the deliberate, deceptive misuse and misinterpretation of intelligence reports. The debacle has cost billions of dollars and hundreds of thousands of lives; Iraqi, American, British, and many others. Deliberately lying to the nation and leading it into a "war" that has been so thoroughly bungled that Iraq may never exist as a functioning state again - is there nowhere in all that grounds for impeachment? Clinton's indiscretions are small potatoes compared to this. Clinton's actions certainly deserved punishment - they were criminal acts - though ultimately the worst thing to come from it was the personal humiliation suffered by himself, his family and the others involved. It was more a tabloid scandal than anything else. Bush has clearly lied which has now led to the loss of thousands of lives and untold suffering by thousands more, the destruction of a nation and the creation of a safe haven for terrorists that will take years to root out, if ever. And no one is raising the call for impeachment?

I know that there would be HUGE political ramifications for such a call and it would probably be impossible to actually pin something specific on Bush; at least, impossible without some kind of far-reaching. microscopic-level investigation, an investigation which will never happen while Bush and his friends have influence. Where's Ken Starr when we REALLY need him? I just marvel that Clinton's offence caused such a hue and cry, nearly ending his presidency, while Bush's offence seemingly goes blithely unnoticed. Deliberately deceiving your country (and the world) is not a criminal offence?

I think there would at least be value in making a call for an impeachment. It would at least show that someone in the U.S. government has a shred of conscience left and is willing to say aloud what everyone already knows: Bush deliberately lied. Your thoughts?

Ponderingly yours from Dave's World,
DW

Just an ordinary day

2007-09-14T12:43:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: McMario's Mixdown online
Current reading: Joining the Club - David Tristram

I felt the need to blog even though there's nothing much to say... I mean, how exciting can an ordinary day be?

Let's see, I got up, let my roommate's dog outside, read the news on CBC & VOCM online (man, things is crazy in da world!), then finally decided to get something to eat. So, eggs and bacon are cooking, mixed up some frozen O.J. (to help fight this cold that seems to be lingering).... and now here I am. Gotta get a shower and get ready for work at some point; other than that, not much to do today. Well, that's not entirely true - there's lots of ongoing unpacking and sorting to do but I just don't feel like tackling that at the moment. So, here I sit with MC Mario, just relaxing. BTW, there are some awesome dance tunes on the Mixdown right now!!

Oh, one thing of note perhaps... I'm going to be embarking on my own version of "Extreme Makeover" over this coming weekend. I've been working with a personal trainer at the local YMCA for a few weeks now and I've asked her to develop a nutrition plan for me. Needless to say, it's going to mean a DRASTIC change in what I eat, how much I eat and when. So, instead of a few weeks (like on the TV show), I'm taking several months (i.e. this coming winter) to exercise and "eat right" and hopefully unveil a "new me" by next spring/summer. Specifically, that means losing 6 inches off my waistline and dropping my body fat percentage from its current score of 24% to around 14%. Big goals! Hence, my version of Extreme Makeover... I wonder how much liposuction costs???

Oh, and I just can't resist sharing this. Go read this article by Neil MacDonald. What a brilliant, quiet yet scathing review of American foreign policy over the last few years. As if we needed more proof of just how pathetic it's been. Comments anyone?

Ordinarily yours from Dave's World,
DW

Sept. 11th

2007-09-11T11:45:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Just Be - DJ Tiesto's 2004 CD
Current reading: Joining the Club - David Tristram

It's hard to believe that it's been six years now since the World Trade Centre / Pentagon attacks. I'm sure that many people - like me - can still recall where we were, what we were doing and the gut-wrenching feelings we went through that morning. The images of that day - the planes, the falling towers, the panic in the streets, the dazed news anchors, the diverted planes queueing up in Gander, NL and so many other airports - are indelibly etched in my mind. It is still difficult to find words to describe what happened that day and how I felt in response; all I know is that it was horrifying and probably the most barbaric act of cruelty to which I have ever been a personal witness.

It is interesting to see, however, how the passage of time gives a different perspective on the events. Crowds at the memorials services are diminishing, though there is now a call for Canada to build a national memorial for those who died, something in the vein of the one built for the victims of the Air India terror tragedy. It is similar to the reaction now to the huge outpouring of grief when Princess Diana died. I was one of those who mourned her, shocked by her sudden passing, getting up at 4 or 5 in the morning to watch the funeral coverage live, weeping and cheering at the tributes paid to her. Yet now, 10 years later, I (like many others) are wondering exactly why we were all so devastated and why we all took her passing so hard.

I believe that Sept. 11th should not be forgotten; we must remember it the way we remember Air India or any other vicious act of senseless barbarism, from a purse-snatching in the street to the Holocaust. Why? So that we don't forget to celebrate and honour the inncoent lives lost and so that we don't forget that we have much work yet to do in this world, to care for our fellow human beings, to make it a better place, so that no one feels they can justify resorting to violence to achieve their goals - however large or small - ever again.

My deepest and most sincere condolences to all those who lost someone they loved on Sept. 11th, and my deepest and most heart-felt congratulations to all the heroes of that day, who responded with dignity, heart and compassion to those in need. The emotions may fade with time; our remembrance must not and will not.

A moment of remembrance in Dave's World,
DW

A Change In Blogging Perspective

2007-09-10T12:36:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: McMario's Mixdown online
Current reading: Joining the Club by David Tristram

Ick.

I have a cold or some such bug... stuffy nose, dry, scratchy throat, coughing and wanting to just lie down and sleep. Just managed to roll out of bed about a half-hour ago. Going to work today should be a ton of fun. Listening to my good buddy McMario should help wake me up... I hope... dance music usually perks me up... usually...

In any case, any "readers" I may have out there know that I have had some crises of identity when it comes to this blog. I guess when I embarked upon the journey of blogging, I envisioned it as being a hybrid of a newspaper column and a Rick-Mercer-style rant; a place for me to share my views and contribute in some miniscule way to the bigger debates going on in the world around me. I guess somewhere along the way, that just became too tiring for me... or I just got too tired to keep it up. I have noticed that most other blogs I am familiar with are more diary-like; more personal anecdotes and stories. Yes, there are lots of editorials out there, lots of satire, insight, even wisdom... I guess I figured to have a worthwhile blog, I had to write something on par with those sites.

How typical of me... start something new and set some ridiculously unrealistic goal... welcome to my life! :) So, I think I'm just going to lighten up and make this more personal and diary-like - toss out the expectations and just write what I feel like writing about - not setting aside time to compose some New-York-Times worthy commentary. That will mean a HUGE shift in perspective for me; let's see how it well it works.

Personally yours from Dave's World,
DW

New digs

2007-09-08T23:43:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: The Way I Are - Timbaland (on Z99)
Current reading: Joining The Club by David Tristram

Hey out there! I'm still alive and kicking and now in new digs! That's right, I have re-located to a new place here in Regina. I've moved out of the bachelor pad I was occupying and am now sharing a quaint little house with a new friend & roommate. It's a bit of long story as to how this all came about, so if you'd like to know more - or actually have my new address - then get in touch with me :-) My phone number and my email have not changed though!

The new job is now just over 2 months old! Things are going well, working at the Hotel Saskatchewan - I'm really enjoying it and enjoying the rest that it's affording me. The only down side so far is that since I am on the evening shift (either 3-11:30 or 3:30-12), participating in theatre is essentially an impossibility for the foreseeable future. This saddens me... A LOT. :-( However I will be able to squeeze in a small part in the Fall One-Act Cabaret. I am in a short play, one of several to be featured over two nights of performances - it's my "current reading" above! :-) It is a really fun and funny play, despite being so short and at least it means I get to have some theatrical involvement... still... the withdrawal symptoms are pretty tough to deal with!!

Well, that's about all I have to say at the moment... check in to Dave's World again soon! :-)
DW

Word Play

2007-07-25T20:50:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest soundtrack
Current reading: Gaff Topsails by Patrick Kavanaugh

I said I would let you know if my $1 investment in Kavanaugh's book was worth it. The verdict? So far, yes it is. The story is very ordinary; he's describing the events of a single day in the life of a fictional Newfoundland outport from a half-century ago - 24 it's not. But his command of English is enthralling - he reminds me very much of Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient, In the Skin of a Lion); it is a joy to read, almost poetic. The very ordinary events and sights almost take on a splendourous aura as Kavanaugh wordcrafts them; it is simply beautiful reading. So yeah, so far, I recommend it!

While on the subject of words and plays... auditions for RLT's upcoming season are on the horizon; the first ones are for the play "Dry Streak" (Aug. 6th) and one of the one-act plays that will go to the provincial festival later in the fall. Unfortunately my work schedule is all evenings; I work either 3 - 11:30 or 3:30 - 12 - prime rehearsal and performance time. Soooo... I may not be able to participate in my beloved theatre this fall (Dave a VERY sad puppy at that thought). I'm going to inquire if there's any way to work it out (swapping shifts, me working ridiculous numbers of days in a row in order to get required days off, whatever). I'm not getting my hopes up, however. Anyone who feels inclined to pray that somehow I can work AND take part in theatre, please do so! :-)

Well... that's about all the news for now. Just a final shout-out to Bakes - GREAT to see you during your visit to Saskabush! :-)

All the (Dave's) world's a stage!
DW

Miss me?

2007-07-18T10:43:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: McMario's Mixdown online
Current reading: Gaff Topsails by Patrick Kavanagh

I found Patrick's book on a clearance table in front of a Coles' bookstore for $1.00 - that's right, $1.00! Seeing as how it is clearly a Newfoundland story by a Newfoundland author, I thought I'd check it out... I'll let you know if it was worth the investment! ;-)

I also found the following Garfield cartoon and thought that since I'd been on hiatus for so long, it would be appropriate. Enjoy!

Hoping you didn't thoroughly enjoy missing Dave's World ;-)
DW

Brief Note

2007-07-16T13:39:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush
Current reading: Still none for the time being

I just have to say that Kate Bush is (IMHO) one the ultimate musical artists of the last 30 years. She is "cool" in the finest sense of the word - it just comes naturally to her!

That aside, just a brief note...

La!

And to go with that brief note, here's a brief update on life:

> Had an awesome visit with G from BC and met a new friend as well. A fun day just hanging out, shooting pool, enjoying food & conversation and laughing at the ridiculously implausible yet tremendously fun Die Hard 4.

> Work is going well, though last night's shift was quite slow. Also got my first major mistake out of the way - I booked an arriving guest into a room that was already occupied! (OOPS!) Fortunately it was fixable and life went on. Still trying to process the tremendous volume of information I'm supposed to know... I think it will have to be a matter of time - doing things over and over and encountering and dealing with situations as they arise in order to figure out what to do with them.

> I don't know if it's a "sign" of some kind, but lately I have been getting all kinds of people telling me I need to join them in signing up for Facebook. I still have my reservations about it - I guess it's your basic privacy-compromised-via-nasty-Internet kind of paranoia. But it does sound like a neat way to keep in touch. Yet it doesn't really pique my interest... I dunno... any more thoughts on Facebook out there??

That's about it for now.......
Briefly yours from Dave's World,
DW

Yup, it's actually three!

2007-07-14T11:50:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Waiting for a Star to Fall - Boy Meets Girl
Current reading: Still nothing for now

Well, despite my enthusiasm (and the enthusiasm of almost 27,000 fans), the Riders lost last night... correction, the Riders got their butts handed to them on the paddle the BC Lions spanked them with - to the tune of 42-12. Long story short, the Riders never seemed to settle down and made too many mistakes way too early. The score started to climb against them, they got more rattled, they took stupid penalties, they made more mistakes (6 turnovers & 3 interceptions!)... yeah, down the slippery slope it went. Oh well, believe it or not, I had fun anyway!

On a totally unrelated topic, I saw an ad online today for the Transformers movie. It is the latest in a line of movies that I want to see on the big screen but haven't gotten around to yet. I have yet to see Shrek 3, Pirates 3, Ratatouille and now Transformers. I need to set up a movie fund or something 'cause (as many of my friends know) I MUCH prefer to see a movie on the big screen; renting it later and watching at home just does nothing for me - it's like the film loses most of its potential impact and interest once it's on a small screen. There are exceptions (if it's a movie I really love or have never seen but really wanted to see) but generally, if I'm going to see a movie, it's the theatre all the way!

Well, off to enjoy the day... did I mention I had an unexpected 3 days off in a row? Yeah! I was scheduled for a half-day on Thursday of training, but it was cancelled. Back to work tomorrow but for today, an old friend from BC is coming for a brief visit - should be fun!

And yes... three in a row... too bad the Riders can't say the same ;-)

Lovin' the summer in Dave's World,
DW

Two In A Row & GO RIDERS GO!

2007-07-13T16:56:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: McMario's Mixdown online
Current reading: None at present

Yes, I know! Two days in a row blogging! Can the Four Horsemen be far behind?

Okay, now that that's out of the way...

Since coming to Saskatchewan, I've adopted the CFL's Roughriders as my "home team". They're based in Regina, but the whole province is RABID over this team! I think the Riders enjoy more support than any other CFL team - people of all ages and all walks of life know all about the team, the players, the stats... it's not just your typical football fan types. EVERYONE follows the ups and downs and shares the joys and heartaches.

I tend to adopt the team wherever I am - when I was in St. John's, I supported the then "Baby Leafs" (sorry Sens fans). In Montreal, I cheered for the Canadiens, Alouettes and the Expos - they hadn't yet packed up for Washington. So, now here in Saskatchewan, its the Riders. AND to top it off, I get to go to the game tonight!! BC's in town, both teams undefeated thus far, and believe me there is no love lost between Rider fans and the Lions... should be a loud and rowdy time! :-)

GO RIDERS GO !!!!!!!! :-)

Goin' green in Dave's World,
DW

In case anyone is still out there...

2007-07-12T20:47:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Best of Bowie - David Bowie
Current reading: Nothing at the moment :-O

Y'know, I kinda thought this would happen. Wayyyyyyyyyyy back when I first was introduced to the world of blogging, it caught my fancy and I decided it was something I would like to jump into. Nonetheless, there was always a part of me that felt that once the novelty wore off, I would end up letting it slide, as I have done with many hobbies and activities over the years.

I guess I can say I was part right.

Don't get me wrong... I actually enjoy the whole process and most of all enjoy getting "comments" and/or feedback. I guess with all the other stuff that's gone on in life over the last year or so, blogging fell by the wayside.

Well, I'm not here to announce my grand return to daily blogging, but I'm not here to announce my retirement either. In fact, I'm not here to announce anything really. I'm just here to try to do a little catching up. This should give the phrase "making a long story short" new meaning!

Where to begin? Hmmm, last thing I was talking about was the hockey playoffs! Well, I was right about Ottawa beating Buffalo, but wrong about Detroit beating Anaheim. I would have picked Ottawa to defeat Anaheim, but as we now know, I would have been wrong there too. So much for my career as a prognosticator. Now let's take a moment of silence for Canadian hockey dreams everywhere...

Moving on to theatre. Kiss the Moon Kiss the Sun had a FABULOUS run, even if I do say so myself! Our cast, director & crew did an amazing job of bringing this awesome play to life, and I was THRILLED to be Robert. I so enjoyed the part and the whole experience. Thank you to the audiences who were so supportive and encouraging, and a special THANK YOU to all my friends who came to cheer me on... you know who you are! ;-) I love you so very much!

As for my theatrical future, there are 3 plays in RLT's 07-08 season that I would like to audition for, but given my new work schedule, I may not have the time to be as involved as I was this past season. What's that you say? New work schedule? Yes, that's right. For those of you who haven't heard as yet, I am taking a 6-month leave of absence from my duties with The Salvation Army. I am still an officer, I'm just having a break from the work. However, I still have to keep a roof over my head & food on the table, so I have a job at the Hotel Saskatchewan here in Regina. I'm in training for work at the front desk. I have to say I am quite enjoying it thus far! It is nice to be able to leave "work" at work when my shift ends. I'm hoping the 6 months will help me to gain some perspective on life and what I'm going to do with it into the future.

I'm quite proud of myself for a step I took today. After years of indecision, I finally have signed myself up with a personal trainer. The local YMCA offers the program. For far too long I have neglected my health and well-being and have never been happy with my physical appearance, so hopefully this will be the first step in a wonderful journey towards a healthier (& hotter) me... WAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHA (wipes tears from eyes) - Sorry, I knew I couldn't type that and not burst into hysterics. I guess I should be more careful... I could choke on one of these chocolate-covered raisins I'm snacking on if I keep laughing like that. :-)

Well, that should pretty much catch everyone up on my personal news. If you'd like more details, you'll have to contact me directly :-p As for the state of the world and the many other things I have commented about... looks like its pretty much the same old insanity, just spiralling further and faster out of control... can you say "we reap what we sow"? Greater detail will have to wait for the time being.

Well, if anyone's still out there... thanks for reading and till next we meet again in Dave's World, enjoy the summer days and be careful out there!
DW

Some more Theatre & Hockey... time warped

2007-05-01T18:25:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Tuesday's Child - Amanda Marshall's 2nd Cd
Current reading: Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun - Norm Foster

Well, rehearsals for KTMKTS are in full swing and I have to say I am loving every second of it! Portraying Robert in this play is a challenge, but an energizing one! Besides, it's just plain fun to be 7 or 8 years old!

Looks like I did pretty good overall with my first-round hockey play-off predictions - I picked 7 of the 8 winners (my only miss was picking Nashville over San Jose). I was off on the number of games needed, however, for most series. I know the second-round is already well underway, but this is the first chance I've had to add a new entry, so here goes nothin' for my second-round picks:

Detroit vs. San Jose - Detroit in 6 or 7
Well done San Jose to get this far. Tough team! But in the long run, they'll be overmatched by the Red Wings.

Vancouver vs. Anaheim - Vancouver in 7
In reality, I think this one can go either way; can't really pick a winner. I just think it will take seven games and I'm hoping Vancouver will come out on top!

Buffalo vs. NY Rangers - Buffalo in 5, maybe 6
Buffalo dispatched the NY Islanders without much trouble. They seem poised to do the same to the Rangers, but I think the Rangers have enough talent & fight in them to make the series last longer - but not quite enough to win it.

Ottawa vs. New Jersey - Ottawa in 7
Ottawa seems to be shaking the Ghost of Choked Playoffs Past and with enough determination, they could get by NJ. But if Brodeur gets into his groove, the Devils will probably outlast the Sens, as they did against the Lightning. Either way, I think this one will need all seven games, and my hope is for Ottawa to come out on top!

TIME WARP!

As you can tell, the above predictions were made some days ago, but just never made it to the blog till now. Looks like I was pretty close again, picking 3 of 4 winners (Why Vancouver, why?!??!), but off on the number of games required. Okay, so before the third-round ends, let me try actually predicting:

Ottawa vs. Buffalo - Ottawa in 7
Ottawa had the advantage in the regular season series, one of the few teams that could claim that against the powerful Sabres. It will be a gruelling series and if Ottawa can hang tough, they should win. Besides, they are the only Canadian team left, so I definitely want them to win!!

Detroit vs. Anaheim - Detroit in 6 or 7
I really don't know how to call this one. Anaheim has the flair but I think Detroit is stronger over a long haul. I won't take the easy way out and say "too close to call", so I'll trust my intuition and go with Detroit.

There's been a lot of excitement in the big ol' world of late, lots to comment on, but for now, I feel satisfied just to catch up a bit. I'll spout off a bit more another time.

Oh, and if RA reads this... there are no hidden messages or meanings... I'm not Dan Brown and this isn't the Da Vinci code (he he he).

Warping on in Dave's World!
DW

Theatre, Hockey, Music

2007-04-13T17:26:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Life - Andy Hunter
Current reading: U2 by U2 -Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.

Some cool / fun / good / happy things to let y'all know about:

Theatre: To my great delight and utter amazement, I obtained the role of Robert Castle in RLT's production of Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun! I am SO excited to be a part of this play! And for the second time - I got to perform it with Paper Bag Players in Yorkton in 2006! In that production, I had the role of Simon Garvey. We had a fabulous cast & director & crew for that show and I believe this time around it will be equally fabulous. I just hope I will be up to the task. In my fledgling acting "career", I think this will be the most challenging role I've ever taken on. I really am THRILLED though, to dive into this character and bring him to life, and to collaborate again with people whom I love as friends and admire for their talent, skill & craft. Performance dates are June 13-16, in case you happen to be in Regina :-) Woo Hoo!!

Hockey: Last year I made a stab at predicting some of the hockey play-off results, so I thought it would be fun to do so again (see April 2006 in the archive to see how I did!) Here are my prognostications for Round One:

Western Conference:
Detroit vs. Calgary - Detroit in 6 games
Best at home vs. Worst on road - you do the math
Anaheim vs. Minnesota - Anaheim in 6 or 7
Two tough teams but I think Anaheim can go up another notch
Vancouver vs. Dallas - Vancouver in 5 or 6
Canucks have been strong, Dallas has been inconsistent
Nashville vs. San Jose - Nashville in 7
Too close to call, but Nashville comes across as gutsier

Eastern Conference:
Buffalo vs. NY Islanders - Buffalo in 4
Good on NY for clawing their way into the play-offs, but... I said "Buffalo in 4" only because they are obliged to play at least 4 games.
New Jersey vs. Tampa Bay - New Jersey in 6
Tampa has more offence but NJ has Brodeur. They'll outlast the Lightning.
Atlanta vs. NY Rangers - Rangers in 6 or 7
Another one that's too close to call. Atlanta has the power, the Rangers have the heart. Heads or tails anyone?
Ottawa vs. Pittsburgh - Ottawa in 6
Yes, Pittsburgh has Sidney, but I think overall Ottawa is the stronger team.

Now... let's see how good or bad I am at this prediction thing! :-)

Music: Have you heard Sarah Mclachlan's new song Ordinary Miracle? It's from the Charlotte's Web soundtrack. Oh. My. I have a new favourite song. I can't listen to that song without getting so choked up that I start to cry! I have no idea why! I haven't seen the movie (if I do, I'm sure I'll be a weeping basket case!). My guess is that it is the combination of simplicity & profundity; somehow it reveals a little of the miracle and wonder that surrounds me every "ordinary" day... I really can't put my finger on it yet... all I know is... whenever that song comes on, I need a kleenex!! Maybe it's just Sarah's beautiful singing - I don't think anyone else could bring this song to life as she does. I dunno... anyway, I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

And there you have it... that's all from Dave's World on this ordinary, miraculous day!
DW

Monthly Update

2007-03-31T11:06:00.001-06:00

Currently listening to: M C Mario's Mixdown online
Current reading: U2 by U2 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.

So, yeah, it's been a month AGAIN since I last posted something! I think I live in a time warp (à la Star Trek) so that it feels to me like very little time goes by but in reality... quite a bit goes by! "Your analysis, Mr. Spock? Data? Tuvok? Anyone?!?!?!"

Anyhoo, in no particular order, here are some of the things that's been going on in my life this past month:

1) The geese are returning! Yeah, I got to do the morning service in Estevan last Sunday and on the drive there and back, I'm sure I saw thousands of geese in various formations, finally making their way back here! A sure sign of spring! Yay!

2) Okay, so that first point actually contained two things: the geese and the trip to Estevan. I've had a number of preaching opportunities of late, twice in Moose Jaw, then in Estevan and tomorrow in Moose Jaw again. Of all the things I do as an officer, preaching is probably the one thing I enjoy the most, so having these opportunities is great!

3) Related to 2), I also had the privilege of officiating at a funeral last week in Moose Jaw. It was for a gentleman who had no connection to the Army, but whose family wanted the Army to do the memorial service. As my wonderful RR has often remarked, it is amazing that at such a vulnerable time, complete strangers will come to us as officers and open up and entrust themselves to us. It really is a privilege, nothing else can describe it.

4) As I mentioned up top, I'm listening to M C Mario online. I used to love listening to his radio show when I lived in Montreal and kind of forgot that I could listen online till last week or so. I'm not really sure how or why I suddenly recalled that, but ever since, I've been listening pretty regularly! The number one song is a remix of Pink Floyd's We Don't Need No Esducation called Proper Education. I'm sure it would make most Pink Floyd/classic rock fans cringe, but for me, it's the first time I can listen to that song without cringing! :-)

5) This week has been performance week! Monday & Tuesday were dress rehearsals and then since Wednesday we've been performing The Winslow Boy ! Last show tonight - VERY sad! It has been such a joy to be a part of this cast and to do this play - a great story very wittily written and interpreted by a talented ensemble that just leave me speechless when I observe them on stage! I have often mentioned how much I love acting - that love is growing daily!

6) PLUS, one of my cast-mates got a part in another play (not an RLT production) called Art. He passed my name along to the director, so now I have the chance to audition for it! I'm also auditioning for a role in Kiss the Moon, Kiss the Sun, the final RLT play for this season. I'm SO excited! And I just can't hide it! Um... okay, no, I'm not about to lose control... but I think I like it (the opportunities!)!! :-) Okay, I know, cheesy. Nonetheless, just being able to take part in the audition process is a thrill for me - if I get a part in either play or get no part at all, I'm just happy to have this involvement.

Well... those are some of the events going on in my life this past month or so... I'm sure I will post this entry and then think of a dozen more of even greater significance... but oh well, I'll live with it. Let me know what's going on in your world!

Time warping on in Dave's World,
DW

I just shake my head

2007-02-27T14:18:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Sun Factory 1 - M.C. Mario
Current reading: The Winslow Boy - Terrence Rattigan

I would imagine that most people have heard by now about James Cameron's purported discovery of the tomb of Jesus and His family. I won't recount the details here, but essentially the find is a tomb containing ossuaries bearing the names "Jesus son of Joseph", "Mary" and "Judah son of Jesus". Two thoughts come to mind:

1) These names were among the most common Jewish names of the day. To claim that these remains must be those of Jesus Christ would be the same as someone finding bones marked "John son of Frank" in New York City and claiming to know which John is meant, out of the millions of possibilities!

2) Since we have no DNA in existence which we know is that of Jesus (or His family), to what would they compare the DNA from these remains to try to establish that this is indeed Jesus? They have nothing to go by!

I would be interested to see Cameron's documentary to see what kind of evidence they have to make this claim, but at the end of the day... I just shake my head at the nonsense.

Also interesting to me is the claim that they are not trying to discredit or undermine Christianity with these findings. While I allow that they may not have mialicious intent, saying they don't wish to undermine the faith is still ludicrous because their discovery challenges the most basic & foundational belief in Christianity: that Jesus was resurrected, returned to life and is still alive, not dead and buried! If Jesus is indeed dead, then the whole of the Christian faith is pointless and falls apart. Whether the intent to discredit is there or not, this claim can do no less than launch such a challenge... if people are willing to take it seriously.

Interesting and challenging times for people to be Christians. But the plus side is that it requires them to become more informed, better educated and more articulate adherents of their faith, rather than just blindly believing. If nothing else, thanks Mr. Cameron for that much.

Skeptically yours from Dave's World,
DW

Missing

2007-02-26T13:08:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Si c'était vrai - France D'Amour (on 107,3 RockDétente - Montréal)
Current reading: The Winslow Boy - Terrence Rattigan

Having realized with my previous post that several weeks had gone by without posting, I have realized today that I missed noting some significant (to me) dates:

February 4: The day I regard as my spiritual birthday. I'm 17 years old!
February 6: The day my special someone left for Bangladesh as part of a missions team from this province. They have had an awesome time, from what I can gather from the sporadic emails they've been able to send. I can't wait to hear more about it in person!
February 7: The one-year anniversary of my entry into the world of blogging!
February 14: Valentine's Day. Although I didn't really miss it, as my special someone and I celebrated it before she left on her missions trip to Bangladesh.

Yup. Time flies. Pity I seem utterly incapable of learning that little lesson.
Holding on to my hat in Dave's World,
DW

Realizing...

2007-02-24T14:46:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Enter Sandman by Metallica
Current reading: The Winslow Boy by Terrence Rattigan

Wow! Where does the time go??? I can't believe its been SO long since I last posted something. It really only seems like a few days ago! However, seeing just how long a time has elapsed has made me think and then realize something... how little I have to say of any value. I guess one of the main unspoken criteria for me in posting something online is that I must believe that it is worthwhile somehow - whether for fun or insight, it has to be worth saying. I guess part of the reason I take so much time between posts is that somewhere deep down I actually feel I have nothing worthwhile to say... so I say nothing.

I'm not sure if that's the whole point of blogging or not (to have something worthwhile to share with the world). But somehow it's a part of my whole take on the subject. Any advice or suggestions? I mean, I probably could post something every day - I just would feel that I was spewing drivel... which I feel like I'm doing most of the time anyway, so what's the difference??? :-)

Anyhoo, this little pause-for-thought is to indicate that I am indeed still alive and haven't abandoned the blog altogether!

Pondering in Dave's World,
DW

The Wrong Kind of Mud

2007-01-30T21:46:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Hyperactive - Thomas Dolby (actually found the video on YouTube!)
Current reading: The Winslow Boy - Terence Rattigan

The past couple of days have been busy, though uneventful. They've been pretty "domestic" as I have cleaned, cooked, gotten groceries, tidied & organized and worked on various projects from home. But some personal highlights:

1) I went to my swimming lesson tonight and confirmed both how much I love the water and how horribly out of shape I am. I really need to go more than one half-hour per week if this is going to make any real difference in my life! My instructor told me that my front crawl was looking really good - hopefully she wasn't just being nice! :-)

2) I found Hyperactive as I mentioned above. At the time of its release in the 80s, it became my FAVOURITE SONG OF ALL TIME and I have to say... it still ranks pretty high up there! It's fun, quirky and a fantastic dance tune! I LOVE IT! If you check the site where I found it, you will see that there are links to many other videos. I found Doctor Doctor by the Thompson Twins, The Safety Dance by Men Without Hats, London Calling by The Clash, Waiting for the Nightboat by Duran Duran... songs & videos I haven't heard or seen in YEARS. Great fun!

3) I confirmed how much I love working from home. Working in an office makes accomplishing anything much harder for me. It's like my trains of thought can't get going and my creativity is short-circuited. Working from home, I relax and get so much more done! I can think clearly and creatively with little to no effort. I am so not cut out for the corporate life!

Anyway, none of that was really what I meant to blog about, as you probably guessed by now, seeing as nothing I've said so far has anything to do with mud. The 2-cents-worth I want to toss out there concerns the current high-profile the environment is getting at the federal government level these days. While I am glad that the environment is in the spotlight, I think it is being overshadowed by the political mud-slinging going on between the political parties. The latest is a letter leaked by the Liberals in which Prime Minister Harper calls Kyoto a "socialist scheme". But prior to this, we've had days of cat-fighting among the parties and the surprise firing of the environment commissioner (possibly for lobbying for real action and - horror! - criticizing the Harper government) and little to no real leadership on the issue of what to do to protect the environment and ensure a healthy future for our own country and the planet as a whole. Perhaps I'm too cynical, but I tend to agree with a comment by Liberal MP Mark Holland that "Now, suddenly, because he has seen the polls and realized the political opportunism of going green, the prime minister has launched a new campaign — that of trying to convince Canadians that he actually cares about the environment, but no one is buying it."

I, for one, am not "buying it" yet and I won't until someone (I don't care which party) shows some real leadership on this (and other) issues. Here's where I'd like them to start:

1) Stop insulting the intelligence of the Canadian populace by acting like we know nothing about the issues. Poll after poll shows that Canadians want real action taken on the environment, not band-aid solutions.

2) Stop insulting the intelligence of the Canadian populace by broadcasting attack ads that do nothing but cast blame, that say nothing of value, that offer no new ideas or proposals and that assume we voters have the mentality of playground 6-year-olds who will gleefully yell "Fight! Fight!" and then take sides.

On a more positive note, a plan to clean up Canada's worst toxic waste site - the Sydney tar ponds - was announced. Granted the plan is not without its detractors, but that is not a bad thing. At least a plan is in place and that plan can benefit (hopefully) from the input of those who think it is less than perfect. Ironically, that is the right kind of mud; actually doing something that will benefit us and the environment. The current hullabaloo in our Parliament is
the wrong kind of mud.

According to the Bible, humans were to be the caretakers of the world God created. That role seems to have been forgotten by our political leaders. Hopefully the voices of Canadians who get that truth will be heard over the splat of the slung mud in Ottawa.

To a greener Dave's World,
DW

Phew! Ouch! Dash it!

2007-01-29T10:52:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Z99 Regina
Current reading: U2 By U2 - Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Larry Mullen Jr.

Phew! What a night last night! I was in Moose Jaw for the day as per usual and once things wrapped up about 7:45 pm, I decided to head for home. It had been quite windy throughout the day and so I figured it would be drifting somewhat on the highway. This is the prairies after all, and so there is almost nothing in the way of trees, hills, buildings or anything else to break the wind. It howls uninterupted and unimpeded across the plains and the highways. I got on the Trans-Canada and for about 10 minutes things were fine. A little bit of low-lying drift, but nothing to cause concern.

Then I hit it.

Whiteout conditions. And I mean whiteout. The lights of the other vehicles around me, ahead and behind, turned to smudges and then vanished. The yellow line on the side of the road disappeared. I slowed down to about 40 kms/hour and after a few seconds, the yellow line faded back into slight visibility, but I could see no more than a few feet in front of my car. I had no idea how close I was to the other vehicles ahead of me, nor how close were the ones behind me.

These conditions continued the rest of the way home. Sometimes the wind would gust and everything would vanish, sometimes it would slacken and I could see lights and lines. Eventually, I ended up in a long convoy of vehicles, I would guess about 100 of us, inching along bumper to bumper. I counted about 20 vehicles of all kinds (transport trucks, SUVs, cars, etc.) off the road. It bothered me that I couldn't stop and help; had I ventured to do so, I would have been the instigator of a who-knows-how-many car pile-up behind me!

In any case, slowly but surely we made it to Regina. What normally takes 40 minutes took 1.5 hours. I have driven in stormy conditions before, but few have equalled the blinding fury of last night. But thankfully I made it home safe and sound. Phew!

Ouch! The "safe and sound" return home didn't last long! I was getting ready for bed and had just turned out the lights when CRUNCH! I whacked the baby-toe on my left foot into the wheel on my suitcase! OW! (*** insert Yosemite Sam style "cursing" here ***) I know, I know, my suitcase should not have been there, I just haven't taken the time to put it in storage downstairs yet. My bad. Anyway, that little toe is now a lovely shade of bright red / not quite purple and is very tender to the touch... but I can still walk without difficulty, so I guess it's all good. But still... Ouch!

Dash it! And finally, just a note on how much I'm enjoying rehersals for The Winslow Boy. For these first several rehearsals, we are essentially just trying to get our accents correct, as we are supposed to be somewhat well-to-do Britons. Our fearless director has a great ear for these things, and is taking us almost word-for-word (sometimes) through bits of dialogue so that we get it right. It can be a little frustrating sometimes as well, but overall, very fun and as an actor, it gives me great confidence in and respect for my director, that he would be so meticulous to ensure a truly believable performance on stage. I just have to remember (among other things) that the "a" is words like "that", "fact", and "dash" is pronounced more like an "eh". Dehsh it!

Hwell, theht's all from windy, clumsy, Dehve's Wuhld. Rahtha!
DW

C'mon baby jus' party wit' me...

2007-01-21T21:16:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: No More Drama - Mary J. Blige
Current reading: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - J.R.R. Tolkien

I haven't listened to MJB for a while. She never really registered on my radar till 2002's No More Drama CD featuring the inspiring title track and the fun & funky Family Affair. She definitely has soul and is a real musical artist - she actually makes me believe that the usually vapid world of hip-hop has the potential to be more than sleaze and violence. A further point of interest to me; in the CD liner notes she thanks "her Lord and Savior [sic] Jesus Christ for loving, caring and protecting me and my family from all hurt and harm. Father, thank you for your dear Son, I love you." Sincere expression of faith or just-for-looks-&-market-appeal words? Your thoughts?

Anyway, just a few updates here! First of all.... I GOT A PART!!! WOOO HOOO!!!! I get to be John Watherstone in Regina Little Theatre's production of The Winslow Boy. Unfortunately I have missed the first 2 rehearsals already due to being away at Retreat and services in Moose Jaw (insert sheepish grin here). However, I will make it starting this coming week and look forward to developing this character and being a part of telling this well-crafted story!

Second of all... I GOT A NEW (to me) COMPUTER!!! WOOO HOOO!!!! Thanks to my super awesome buddy C.C.!!! Now I just have to figure out how to hook it up properly and then start transferring files from the old one to the new one... (insert blank model stare here).

Third of all... As I mentioned, I was away at Officers' Retreat this past week. What a great time! Aside from hanging out with some of my nearest and dearest friends (some of whom I haven't seen for a while or only get to see rarely), our speaker was the one and only Commissioner Linda Bond. Wow. This woman is nothing short of AMAZING. All I could think and say while she was sharing with us was "MORE!" I could have stayed for another week to hear her. To say it was inspiring, challenging & stirring just falls short. All in all, an awesome time away! And I even got to go on a sleigh ride (yes, drawn by actual horses!) and soak in an outdoor hot tub... hey, might not seem like a lot to some of you, but it was WAY COOL for me! :) Have a look at the place here.

Oh, and last but not least... during this past week I WON MY FIRST 2 GAMES EVER OF SETTLERS OF CATAN!!!! WOOO HOOO!!!! Those in the know will appreciate how monumental an achievement that is and will rejoice with me. ;-) "Let's git it crunkapound, have funapound up in this dancery..." (Dave does happy funky victory dance...)

Gettin' down wit' ma bad self in Dave's World... yo... yo, yo.
DW

Bloggy Bits

2007-01-13T12:53:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: Life - Andy Hunter
Current reading: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King - Tolkien

Yep, finally made it through Two Towers, now embarking once more upon the third installment of the trilogy. Yeah, I'm hooked. :) Andy Hunter is great too! :)

Well, let's see, where do I begin? It's been a while since I posted and so there's lots of bloggy bits floating about in my head. So in no particular order, here they are.

First, a brief comment on American President Bush's "new" plan for Iraq: sending in 21,500 more troops. Correct me if I'm wrong, but hasn't that essentially been the plan from the outset? Use troops to vanquish the insurgents and establish a semblance of order in Iraq? How is sending more of them a new plan? Remember that the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting different results. Sadly this sounds more like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic rather than actually changing its course.

Next, something brighter. My eldest nephew got engaged at Christmas! Happy news! Congrats to him and the lucky gal! ;-)

Having had a (relatively) mild winter thus far, the tables have turned and "normal" seasonal temps have returned - with a vengeance. With the wind chill, its been in the -40 to -45 range for a few days now! BRRR! And please, no one from Saskatchewan tell me that because it's a "dry cold" it's somehow better than a similar temp on the coast - Baloney! Any temp in that range falls into the "unholy & unearthly" category, no matter where it is! In fact, I would like to propose a new name for Saskatchewan: Siberia's already taken, so is Antarctica... how about "Surface of Mars"?

On a warmer note, I finally signed up for (and actually went to) swimming lessons! Yay for me! I will have them once a week for 10 weeks at the local YMCA. Now, I know that a half-hour once a week is not going to make me a swimmer, so I will be trying to schedule in other times to practice during the week. Wish me luck! And feel free to inquire in the comments section and keep me accountable on that! I may dislike you for it later, but... live dangerously.. go on... ask me... I dare you.... :-)

However, I will miss lesson # 2 this coming week as I (and all the other Salvation Army officers from Saskatchewan and Manitoba) will be meeting for our annual retreat. I'll be away from Monday to Friday. Yes, I know... you won't notice any difference in the frequency of my blogging... sad...

Back to happy! I have been auditioning for a part in the upcoming Regina Little Theatre production of the British drama The Winslow Boy. Already just through auditions I have met some great new people and have been totally enjoying the process! Watch this website to find out if I get a part! (ooo, the suspense is just killing you, I know!) But whether I get a part or not, any involvement in the world of theatre is a joy for me; I've really got it bad! :-)

Ow! My back has been continuing to irritate me, on again, off again. Today it is on again, and the aching is creeping further up my back. I did go to the doctor who sent me for x-rays which revealed that indeed my lower back muscles were (for reasons unknown) spasming. My guess is that those spasms are now causing similar flare-ups in the other back muscles to which they are connected. So... methinks I will be seeking a massage in the near future.

My appointment in Moose Jaw is off and running and bodes well for the future. I'm really still just getting acquainted with the people and programs, but I think there's some very positive potential there! The commuting is also turning out to be quite enjoyable, weather and visibility conditions notwithstanding. It's a nice drive, a very pleasant way to begin and end the day.

Just a question, as I munch on some delicious, juicy grapes while typing: Why is eating healthy so expensive ?!?!?! For all the talk about the problem of obesity and the incentives to get people to live healthier lives and save the health care system billions of dollars in the long term... can we not do something to make the food that's actually healthy more affordable? It is cheaper to eat junk than good food - something's wrong with that picture, no?

Ever hear a song that for some unknown reason just totally grabs your attention and holds it? Even if its a song that isn't a part of your usual listening tastes? Such is the song Nine Million Bicycles by Katie Melua. Not a song I would normally be enamoured with, but it was just quirky enough to register on my radar... and I have really come to like it. Anyone else?

And finally, because I like the term "bloggy bits" so much, I am having it copyrighted, so if you want to use it anywhere, please give me due credit. My astute readers (and hopefully all my fellow Newfoundlanders) will recognize that its a play on words: the term for pieces of ice that aren't large enough to be considered full-fledged icebergs is "bergy bits". Get it? Clever, huh? Yah, whatever, just remember... copyright!

And that's it for the bloggy bits in Dave's World today! See you soon! Ok, yeah, in a week or so... well, that's "soon"... relatively... speaking...
DW

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

2007-01-03T17:42:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: The Joshua Tree - U2
Current reading: Two Towers

HAPPY NEW YEAR !!!!

I hope 2007 will be filled with everything good for everyone out there! How's that for a sweeping statement? :-)

The changing of the year has also brought a change in position for me. I am now the Associate Officer for the Moose Jaw Corps of The Salvation Army. I will continue to live in Regina for the time being, so I will be commuting the 45 minutes between the two cities. Fun! Really!

Not a whole lot else to say at the moment... just a few short film reviews. If you haven't already done so, go see The Nativity Story, Eragon & Casino Royale.

The first one is a well-crafted and tasteful telling of the birth of Jesus. They do mess up a couple of things (leaving out the multitude of angels announcing His birth, having the Magi arrive the night of His birth instead of months later when they actually did) but the overall simple beauty of the film makes up for those misses; very touching, plus good fun with the Magi characters!

The second is Lord of the Rings Lite, but still good fun and adventure on its own merits. If you like fantasy, you'll enjoy this one. I've never read the book (books?) or played the game, so I went into the movie completely green and it actually hooked me enough that I got into the story and would love to see the sequel when it comes out (the way it ended SCREAMED "sequel in the works"!). I especially loved the development of the relationship between dragons and humans - my guess is that is the one truly unique feature of this story at all. Great fun!

The third is the salvation of the James Bond film franchise. After turning Bond into a semi-superhero with more gadgets and gizmos than Batman could ever dream of, this film returns Bond to reality. And hold your breath, 'cause its a gritty, bloody, cold-blooded, kill-or-be-killed reality - although the backdrops are all sumptuously gorgeous; if ya gotta risk your life, just as well to do it looking like a million bucks in locales that cost a zillion bucks to get into! Though I felt it dragged a little towards the end, there's still lots of suspense and great action sequences. Jump in & hold on!

Well, that's it for today in Dave's World! See ya soon!
DW

It's over... or is it?

2006-12-29T22:14:00.000-06:00

Currently listening to: U2 - Under a Blood Red Sky - Live
Current reading: Two Towers

As I type this, news services world-wide are just beginning to carry the headline that former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein has been executed. According to CNN, a witness to the hanging said "Saddam's body is in front of me. It's over."

Or is it?

I think this one is going to be debated for many years to come. We'll have to wait and see how many reprisal attacks are launched by militants hoping to avenge Saddam's death. But in such a bitterly divided country, what will this really accomplish? I've never been a proponent of capital punishment, though I agree wholeheartedly that Saddam's crimes during his tenure as dictator are heinous in the extreme. His actions were monstrous. He needed to be removed from power (though I disagree with how it was done, as an afterthought of the invasion-built-on-lies by the U.S.). I guess for me the question is always: Is this justice or just revenge? And again, what (if anything) will this accomplish? Will this help build national unity in Iraq? Will it help them put his dark chapter of their history behind them?

Too early to tell, I know. But the questions loom large at the moment. I hope it's over... but we'll see. In death as in life, Saddam Hussein will not be a peace-maker.

From a speculative Dave's World,
DW